JANUARY 2009

K
PRINT & TEACH LESSON JUNE 2011

THE UPSIDE OF COMMUTING

Language Function: Vocabulary/Topic: Grammar:

discussing issues, reading comprehension; comparing things commuting; means of transport; free time activities comparative and superlative adjectives; comparison structures

advanced upper-intermediate intermediate pre-intermediate

focus on talking: modes of transport to/from work

Activity 1. Discuss these questions in pairs or small groups.
How long does it take you to get to/form work? How do you travel to/from work? How often do you ...

word in focus
carpool noun
an arrangement between people to make a regular journey in a single car, typically with each person taking turns to drive the others

walk? drive alone? carpool? travel by bus? travel by tram?

travel by underground? travel by train? take a taxi? ride a bicycle? ride a scooter/motorbike?

carpool verb
to participate in a carpool

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THE UPSIDE OF COMMUTING

focus on comprehension
Activity 2. Read the text below and decide which of the following sentences is its best summary. The gures released by the Ofce for National Statistics show that people with longer journeys to/from work earn more money and work shorter hours at the workplace. The gures released by the Ofce for National Statistics show that people with longer journeys to/from work earn more money and work longer hours at the workplace. The gures released by the Ofce for National Statistics show that people with longer journeys are paid extra bonuses for the time they spend commuting.

The further you commute, the more you earn

It may be hard to believe as you sit stuck in a rush hour jam or crammed into a packed train carriage, but there is an upside to a long daily commute higher earnings. For those who travel more than an hour to work every day earn almost twice as much as those with a journey under 15 minutes, according to Whitehall statistics. Workers with a commute that takes an hour plus are in higher-skilled jobs and earn on average 16.03 an hour. This compares with just 8.45 an hour for those who arrive at work within 15 minutes of leaving the house. However those with lengthier commutes dont just spend more time travelling to their job they also spend longer at the workplace. Those who travel for under a quarter of an hour work a reasonable 40.5-hour week seven hours and 42 minutes less than those who travel for more than 60 minutes, at 48.2 hours each week. This means that on top of a two-hour round trip to work, people with the longest commutes stay around an hour and a half longer at work each day. The gures were released by the Ofce for national Statistics in its most detailed analysis of the UKs commuting patterns to date. Campaign groups suggested poor public transport was creating a class divide which meant lower-paid workers could not afford to travel farther for better jobs. Richard Hebditch, of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: This survey suggests that if you are on a higher income you can afford to choose where you live, so you can live in more afuent locations even when they are farther from work. Many commuters will be amazed to know that 75% of the population take just half an hour or less to get into work although among London workers that gure falls to 44%. The statistics were produced using data collected from October to December 2009.

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THE UPSIDE OF COMMUTING

focus on comprehension
Activity 3. Read the text again and decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F). 1. Workers with commute time shorter than 15 minutes earn on average 50% less per hour. 2. Workers with longer journey to work tend to work longer hours. 3. According to Richard Hebditch, the data suggests that lower-paid workers nd it easier to nd good jobs close to their homes. 4. 75% of London workers dont travel to work longer than half an hour.

focus on talking: how we spend our commute time

Activity 4. Discuss these questions in pairs or small groups. Do you consider the time you spend commuting as wasted? Which of these activities do you while commuting?

reading newspapers, books, documents listening to music, radio, podcasts, audiobooks playing games on a mobile device, such as iPad or smartphone watching movies doing crosswords or solving sudoku puzzles planning your day catching up with making phone calls

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THE UPSIDE OF COMMUTING

focus on grammar: comparative and superlative adjectives

Activity 5. Read the sentences below. Are the underlined phrases correct or wrong? Correct wrong sentences.
1. People who live close to work dont earn as much than the ones who spend a lot of time commuting. 2. Whats the faster way to get to your work? 3. Driving is more boring than going by train. 4. Going by bus is less cheaper than driving. .............................................................................. ............................................................................. ............................................................................. .............................................................................

5. Driving is the most expensive way of getting to work. ............................................................................. 6. Going by train is more convenient as going by bus. 7. Commuting today isnt as cheaper as 20 years ago. 8. A car journey lasts longer than a bicycle ride. ............................................................................. ............................................................................. .............................................................................

focus on vocabulary
Activity 6. Find these words and expressions in the article on page 2. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. ..................................................... .................................................... .................................................... .................................................... .................................................... .................................................... .................................................... time during each day when trafc is at its heaviest a lot of cars crowded together on the road making it difcult to move completely lled, crowded a positive aspect of something a trip from one place to another and back, usually over the same route to have enough money for something rich

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