IHWO Activity Pack - Level C2

Reading 2
‘I can understand texts written in a very colloquial style and containing many idiomatic expressions
or slang.’

I Really Wish You Wouldn’t

Aim: The students will be able to understand the meaning of an article written in a colloquial style
and will be able to infer the meaning of the idiomatic and slang expressions from context.

Topic: Bad habits

Time: 30-40 mins

Concept: It is unlikely that even the highest level students will be familiar with all the vocabulary in
texts written in a very colloquial style. However, being able to infer the meaning of unknown
vocabulary from context is an incredibly useful skill to have to aid comprehension of the
entire text. In this activity the student is asked to predict the meaning of presumably
unknown vocabulary.

Suggested Procedure:

1 Lead-in. In pairs, students brainstorm typical bad habits of men that annoy their partners. Get brief
feedback.

2 Give the students the text and ask them to read it quickly to find which of the bad habits they
mentioned are discussed in the text.

3 Ask students to match the paragraph headings to the paragraphs. Do not give them any help with
vocabulary yet.
Key:
Text A: 1C 2D 3A 4B 5E
Text B: 1E 2A 3C 4B 5D

4 In pairs, ask students to predict the meaning of the vocabulary in bold using the context as clues.
Encourage them to discuss the meaning in as much detail as possible. Feedback for this exercise can
be done either by the students checking in dictionaries or by checking with the teacher.

Key:
Text A Text B
go to superhuman lengths – to do anything dodge – to avoid an obstacle
possible
a thimbleful – a very small amount without the faintest inclination to pitch in – with
no thoughts about helping
you get the idea – don’t take me literally the odd piece – a small amount
pesky – annoying dutch oven – a fart in bed
show ‘em whose boss – demonstrate our at the end of the day – to summarise
authority
crisp, sanitized one – a very clean one (glass) Shakespearian death throe – melodramatic
complaining
granted – I admit crave – to desire
relieve themselves – to urinate to rule with an iron fist – to have absolute control

5 Students then discuss the typical bad habits of women that annoy their partners.

Extension: Students write a similar article defending the bad habits of women. Encourage them to use
idiomatic and slang expressions and write it in a similar humorous style.

© International House World Organisation C2 Activity Pack

IHWO Activity Pack - Level C2

Reading 2
‘I can understand texts written in a very colloquial style and containing many idiomatic expressions
or slang.’

I Really Wish You Wouldn’t – Text A

1
While we have no problem taking out the rubbish, we will go to almost superhuman lengths to
avoid having to fill them up in the first place. We'll pour water into near-empty shampoo bottles to
maximise whatever's left; we'll leave behind a thimbleful of milk in the carton instead of throwing it
out. Heck, we'll even leave a toilet paper roll with one square remaining and wipe with our shirts if
we have to. So long as there's just a teeny, tiny bit left, we won't be the ones responsible for
disposing of it and, more importantly, buying a replacement.

2
Let's face it: We're territorial creatures at best. If it were socially acceptable, we'd pee on all of our
possessions just to scare away other men (maybe not on our supply of beer, but you get the
idea). Therefore, leaving behind a little white glob of toothpaste after we've brushed is just our way
of marking our territory. It says, "I've been here and I'm cavity-free."

3
While we might like the result of a clean, smooth face, all men hate the actual process of shaving.
It's time-consuming, painful and a miserable way to start the day. Therefore, as a sign of protest,
we elect to leave our pesky little beard trimmings in the sink to show 'em who's boss. Women
might hate it, but it's our way of celebrating victory in the battle against unwanted follicles.

4
When asked about his habit of taking baths, Winston Churchill once replied, "Why stand when you
could sit?". The same rationale applies to the use of multiple glasses. Why use the same dirty,
germ-ridden glass time after time when you could enjoy a crisp, sanitised one whenever you like?
Not only is it healthier, but using different glasses for every drink helps us calculate if we've
consumed our recommended eight daily doses of water. Besides, what fun is there in having
possessions if you never use them?

5
Granted, this is one of our least pardonable offences, but it wouldn't have to be if women simply
left the toilet seat up in the first place. Ladies claim that it's good etiquette to leave the seat down,
but the opposite is actually true. Consider this: Since women need to sit down to relieve
themselves, it's easy for them to bring the seat down with them in one fluid motion. We men, on
the other hand, have to bend down, lift the seat, begin peeing, and then bend down again to return
the seat when we're done. We go to the washroom to pee, not to perform gymnastics.

Which of these titles goes with which paragraph?

a) We leave hair in the sink after shaving

b) We use 10 drinking glasses a day instead of one

c) We leave a wake of empty containers

d) We splash the mirror when we brush our teeth

e) We pee on the toilet seat

© International House World Organisation C2 Activity Pack

IHWO Activity Pack - Level C2

Reading 2
‘I can understand texts written in a very colloquial style and containing many idiomatic expressions
or slang.’

I Really Wish You Wouldn’t – Text B

1
"A place for everything and everything in its place," they say. Well, that's a nice idea, but who has
the time? It's far more fun to throw our clothes here and there as if a bomb went off in our closet.
Not only is it faster to treat the floor like a giant laundry basket, but we can amuse ourselves for
hours afterwards as we dodge our fallen clothes while moving from room to room.

2
When it comes to home repairs and renovations, men are king. We're unequalled in our ability to
fix basement steps, patch up aluminium siding and build spice racks. When it comes to cleaning,
however, we're lowly peasants without the faintest inclination to pitch in. We'll lift our feet if we
have to, and we'll even move the odd piece of heavy furniture, but our contribution ends there.
Hey, if God had wanted us to sweep and dust, he would have given us feathers instead of fingers.

3
Scientists and academics often comment upon what a shame it is that we use only 10% of our
brains. For most men, the same reasoning applies to our sphincters and throats. Like any other
part of our body, these muscles need to be kept in shape. And there's simply no better way of
doing it than burping the alphabet or heating up a "Dutch Oven" under the sheets. Women needn't
be disgusted by our behaviour. In fact, they should be flattered that we're comfortable enough
around them to risk shitting ourselves. At the end of the day, isn't that what love is all about?

4
When women get sick, they take the appropriate medicine and stay in bed with a hot compress
and a good book. When men get sick we go into a Shakespearian death throe, certain we're on
the verge of sputtering out our last breath. We collapse wherever is convenient, be it on the bed or
on the front lawn, and mutter, moan and groan until we've scared off every living creature (and
turned on every male dog) in a six-mile radius. It's not subtle, but more often than not it gets us the
attention we crave.

5
As King of the Castle, we consider it our right to rule the remote control with an iron fist. For
women, that means having to watch an endless parade of sports highlights, monster movies and
home renovation shows. Making matters worse is the lightning-fast speeds at which we flick
through the channels -- so fast as to trigger epileptic seizures seven households away. Hey, it's not
our fault there are 501 channels.

Which of these titles goes with which paragraph?

a) We don't do housework

b) We develop a martyr complex when we get sick

c) We burp & fart indiscriminately

d) We channel surf rapidly (and seemingly aimlessly)

e) We litter the ground with laundry

© International House World Organisation C2 Activity Pack