Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. lead
    • ex. The old pipes are made of lead.
  2. harmful
    • ex. You should wear special gloves before you touch harmful chemicals.
  3. promptly
    • ex. Anna saw a strange man in her building and promptly called a security guard.
  4. the press
    • ex. The press reported about the president’s skiing accident.
  5. legally responsible
    • ex. If you’re legally responsible for breaking the contract, you might go to jail.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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An organization that reviews products for consumers found unsafe toys on Amazon Marketplace and eBay. The toys were declared dangerous by the European Union because they have high levels of lead and other harmful materials. The group reported the toys to the two companies selling them online.

There were six unsafe toys found on Amazon and 12 found on eBay. These toys included a magnetic building set, a toy helicopter, and a remote controlled car. Both companies reacted promptly. Amazon removed five of the reported toys, while eBay removed all 12. The two companies told the press that they put their customers’ safety first.

Currently, online marketplaces are not legally responsible to make sure that the products on their websites are safe. The law does not require them to remove unsafe products from their stores or tell customers when something is wrong with a product. The group that found the dangerous products wants the government to make online marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon legally responsible.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Buying and Selling Toys

  • Do you think online toy shops should be responsible for their products’ safety? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Which do you think is better, buying toys online or at a store? Why? Discuss.
  • Would you sell your old toys? Why or why not? Discuss.

Products for Children

  • Should parents buy their children more educational toys or fun toys? Why? Discuss.
  • Which are better for children, old classic toys or new high-tech ones? Why? Discuss.
  • Do you think toys are the best gifts for children? Why or why not? Discuss.