A2 Reading

A2Everyday life10 min

A blog post: thirty days of change

Read a blog post by a man who tried a month-long experiment with how he travels around his city.

Before you read

Matteo lives in a small city and usually drives everywhere. Last month, he decided to try something different. Read his blog post and find out how it went.

experimentnoun
a test to find out what happensWe did an experiment with plants in science class.
cycleverb
to ride a bicycleI cycle to school when the weather is good.
trafficnoun
the cars and other vehicles on a roadThere was a lot of traffic, so I was late.
wasteverb
to use more of something than you need, or to throw away something usefulDon't waste water.
petrolnoun
the liquid that many cars use to make them goWe need to buy petrol before our trip.

My month without a car

Hello again, readers! Last month, I did an experiment: I didn't use my car for thirty days. I live in a small city, and I usually drive everywhere: to work, to the shops, even to the sports centre. My sister said I couldn't do it. I wanted to show her that she was wrong!

The first week was difficult. It rained on Monday and Tuesday, and I arrived at the office wet and unhappy. My bike was old, so I took it to a repair shop, and after that, cycling was much easier. The 6-kilometre ride to work took 25 minutes, only ten minutes longer than by car, because there is always a lot of traffic in the morning.

For the weekly shopping, I walked to the market with a big backpack. I bought less food, but I wasted less too.

By the end of the month, I felt fitter and I was sleeping better. I also saved about 120 euros on petrol and parking. The best part was that I started to notice things in my city that I never saw from my car: a small bakery, a beautiful old bridge and a park with a lake.

Will I sell my car? No, I still need it for long trips. But now I cycle to work three days a week. My sister was surprised, and next month she wants to try it too!

Exercise 1 of 2

Understand the blog post

Read the blog post. Choose the correct answer.

  1. Why did Matteo start the experiment?

  2. Why was the first week difficult?

  3. How long does Matteo's ride to work take by bike?

  4. Cycling to work takes ten minutes longer than driving.
  5. How did Matteo do the weekly shopping?

  6. How much money did Matteo save?

  7. What was the best part of the experiment for Matteo?

  8. Is Matteo going to sell his car?

0 of 8 answered

Exercise 2 of 2

Details from the blog post

Type one word or number from the blog post.

  1. Matteo didn't use his car for days.

  2. He took his old bike to a repair .

  3. His ride to work is kilometres long.

  4. In the morning, there is always a lot of .

  5. He bought less food, but he less too.

  6. Now he cycles to work days a week.

0 of 6 answered

Source

Original lesson by Joy English.

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