Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on No Housework Day. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:
READ
No Housework Day is one of those days you see on calendars on the Internet but don’t know where it came from. It is always on April 7th. It is one day of the year when it is OK to do nothing in the house. Everybody has the day off from doing the household chores. It’s OK to let the dishes and washing pile up; it’s no problem to let another layer of dust settle on top of the TV; and it’s absolutely fine to leave the vacuum cleaner in its corner for the day. And as for cooking, make sure you have a home-delivery phone number handy. Or even better, get yourself off to a restaurant. This is also a good day for those who never do anything around the house, who never lift a finger, to appreciate those who do the housework.
What is housework, exactly? If you never do it, you probably never think about this. It is a lot of hard work and someone does it every single day. It starts while the rest of the house is still asleep. Next time you wake up, listen to see if you can hear the washing machine working or smell the coffee machine. It happens while you are still trying to open your eyes at the breakfast table. Then while you are at school or work, the breakfast dishes are magically cleaned, the tables wiped and the dishes all put in their place. You come home from school or work and the bath is clean, again. Your shirts are washed, ironed, and hanging in your closet, again. The toothpaste tube in the bathroom is never empty. Who does all this invisible housework?
Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.
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PHRASE MATCH
Match the following phrases from the article.
Paragraph 1
1.
one of those
a.
in the house
2
it is OK to do nothing
b.
do the housework
3.
let the dishes and washing
c.
a finger
4.
get yourself off
d.
days
5.
never lift
e.
pile up
6.
appreciate those who
f.
to a restaurant
Paragraph 2
1.
It is a lot of
a.
open your eyes
2
the rest of the house
b.
is never empty
3.
you are still trying to
c.
in their place
4.
the breakfast dishes are
d.
hard work
5.
the dishes all put
e.
is still asleep
6.
The toothpaste tube in the bathroom
f.
magically cleaned
LISTENING GAP FILL
No Housework Day is __________________ you see on calendars on the Internet but don’t know where it came from. It is always on April 7th. It is one day of the year __________________ nothing in the house. Everybody has the day off from doing the household chores. It’s OK to let the dishes and __________________; it’s no problem to let another layer of dust settle on top of the TV; and it’s absolutely fine to leave the vacuum cleaner __________________ the day. And as for cooking, make sure you have a home-delivery phone number handy. Or even better, get __________________ restaurant. This is also a good day for those who never do anything around the house, who __________________, to appreciate those who do the housework.
What is housework, exactly? __________________, you probably never think about this. It is a lot of hard work and someone does it every single day. It __________________ of the house is still asleep. Next time you wake up, __________________ can hear the washing machine working or smell the coffee machine. It happens while you __________________ open your eyes at the breakfast table. Then while you are at school or work, the breakfast dishes are magically cleaned, the tables wiped and the dishes all __________________. You come home from school or work and the bath is clean, again. Your shirts are washed, ironed, and hanging in your closet, again. The toothpaste tube in the bathroom __________________. Who does all this invisible housework?
WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL
Put the words into the gaps in the text.
No Housework Day is one of __________ days you see on calendars on the Internet but don’t know where it came from. It is always on April 7th. It is one day of the year __________ it is OK to do nothing in the house. Everybody has the day off from doing the household __________. It’s OK to let the dishes and washing __________ up; it’s no problem to let another layer of dust __________ on top of the TV; and it’s absolutely __________ to leave the vacuum cleaner in its corner for the day. And as for cooking, make sure you have a home-delivery phone number __________. Or even better, get yourself off to a restaurant. This is also a good day for those who never do anything around the house, who never lift a __________, to appreciate those who do the housework.
settle pile handy chores fine those finger when
What is housework, __________? If you never do it, you probably never think about this. It is a lot of hard work and someone does it every __________ day. It starts while the rest of the house is still asleep. Next time you wake up, __________ to see if you can hear the washing machine working or smell the coffee machine. It happens while you are still trying to __________ your eyes at the breakfast table. Then while you are at school or work, the breakfast __________ are magically cleaned, the tables __________ and the dishes all put in their place. You come home from school or work and the bath is clean, again. Your shirts are washed, ironed, and __________ in your closet, again. The toothpaste __________ in the bathroom is never empty. Who does all this invisible housework?
hanging listen wiped open exactly tube dishes single
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.
No Housework Day is one of those / them days you see on calendars on the Internet but don’t know where it come / came from. It is always on April 7th. It is one day of the year when it is OK to do nothing on / in the house. Everybody has the day off from doing the household chores. It’s OK to let the dishes and washing pile up / down; it’s no problem to let another layer of dust settle on top of the TV; and it’s absolutely fine / find to leave the vacuum cleaner in its corner for the day. And as / was for cooking, make sure you have a home-delivery phone number handed / handy. Or even better, get yourself off to a restaurant. This is also a good day for those who never do anything around the house, who never hold / lift a finger, to appreciate those who do the housework.
What is housework, exactly? If you never do one / it, you probably never think about this. It is a lot of hard works / work and someone does it every single day. It starts while the rest / resting of the house is still asleep. Next time you wake up, listen to hear / see if you can hear the washing machine working or smell the coffee machine. It happens while you are still trying / tried to open your eyes at the breakfast table. Then while you are at school or work, the breakfast dishes are magic / magically cleaned, the tables wiped and the dishes all put in their place. You come home from school or work and the bath is clean, again. Your shirts are washed, iron / ironed, and hanging in your closet, again. The toothpaste tube / tub in the bathroom is never empty. Who does all this invisible housework?
MULTIPLE CHOICE
No Housework Day is one of (1) ____ days you see on calendars on the Internet but don’t know where it came from. It is always on April 7th. It is one day of the year when it is OK to do nothing in the house. Everybody has the day (2) ____ from doing the household chores. It’s OK to let the dishes and washing pile (3) ____; it’s no problem to let another layer of dust settle on top of the TV; and it’s absolutely (4) ____ to leave the vacuum cleaner in its corner for the day. And as for cooking, make sure you have a home-delivery phone number (5) ____. Or even better, get yourself off to a restaurant. This is also a good day for those who never do anything around the house, who never (6) ____ a finger, to appreciate those who do the housework.
What is housework, exactly? If you never do (7) ____, you probably never think about this. It is a lot of hard work and someone does it every (8) ____ day. It starts while the rest of the house is still asleep. Next time you wake up, listen to (9) ____ if you can hear the washing machine working or smell the coffee machine. It happens while you are still trying to open your eyes at the breakfast table. Then while you are at school or work, the breakfast dishes are (10) ____ cleaned, the tables (11) ____ and the dishes all put in their place. You come home from school or work and the bath is clean, again. Your shirts are washed, ironed, and hanging in your closet, again. The toothpaste (12) ____ in the bathroom is never empty. Who does all this invisible housework?
Put the correct words from this table into the article.
1.
(a)
those
(b)
them
(c)
they
(d)
these
2.
(a)
on
(b)
up
(c)
off
(d)
in
3.
(a)
down
(b)
in
(c)
off
(d)
up
4.
(a)
finest
(b)
fine
(c)
find
(d)
fin
5.
(a)
handy
(b)
handed
(c)
handing
(d)
hands
6.
(a)
hold
(b)
point
(c)
wave
(d)
lift
7.
(a)
it
(b)
them
(c)
one
(d)
all
8.
(a)
one
(b)
single
(c)
sole
(d)
alone
9.
(a)
hear
(b)
see
(c)
listen
(d)
view
10.
(a)
magic
(b)
magical
(c)
magically
(d)
magician
11.
(a)
whipped
(b)
warped
(c)
wiped
(d)
wrapped
12.
(a)
tub
(b)
carton
(c)
jar
(d)
tube
SPELLING
Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.
Paragraph 1
1.
it is OK to do nngotih
2.
household erohcs
3.
another yrela of dust
4.
home-vlieerdy phone number
5.
never lift a rneifg
6.
do the krhoeuswo
Paragraph 2
7.
you bpbyolar never think
8.
every nliges day
9.
yrting to open your eyes
10.
the breakfast dseshi are magically cleaned
11.
hanging in your slteco
12.
hstaootetp tube
PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER
Number these lines in the correct order.
( )
machine. It happens while you are still trying to open your eyes at the breakfast table. Then while you are at
( )
of dust settle on top of the TV; and it’s absolutely fine to leave the vacuum cleaner in its corner for
( )
place. You come home from school or work and the bath is clean, again. Your shirts are washed, ironed, and hanging in
( 1 )
No Housework Day is one of those days you see on calendars on the Internet but don’t know where it came
( )
better, get yourself off to a restaurant. This is also a good day for those who never do anything
( )
around the house, who never lift a finger, to appreciate those who do the housework.
( )
work and someone does it every single day. It starts while the rest of the house is still asleep. Next time you wake
( )
your closet, again. The toothpaste tube in the bathroom is never empty. Who does all this invisible housework?
( )
the day. And as for cooking, make sure you have a home-delivery phone number handy. Or even
( )
from. It is always on April 7th. It is one day of the year when it is OK to do nothing in the house. Everybody has the day
( )
school or work, the breakfast dishes are magically cleaned, the tables wiped and the dishes all put in their
( )
up, listen to see if you can hear the washing machine working or smell the coffee
( )
off from doing the household chores. It’s OK to let the dishes and washing pile up; it’s no problem to let another layer
( )
What is housework, exactly? If you never do it, you probably never think about this. It is a lot of hard
SCRAMBLED SENTENCES
With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.
1.
one calendars on see you days those of
2.
OK the to house do it nothing is in
3.
chores household the doing from off day the
4.
dust of layer another let settle
5.
those appreciate housework the do who
6.
think never probably you this about
7.
work is lot hard It a of
8.
can you if see machine washing the hear
9.
magically are dishes breakfast the cleaned
10.
toothpaste is tube never in empty the The bathroom
DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about No Housework Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about No Housework Day. Write about what happens around the world. Include two imaginary interviews with people who did something on this day.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
4. POSTER: Make your own poster about No Housework Day. Write about what will happen on this day around the world.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.
