Prime Minister Sunak will apologise for no seatbelt

An EFL and ESL English Lesson

Lesson Collection
A photo of a car seat.

Date: 22nd January 2023

Level: B1 Intermediate

Grammar: Modal verbs

Topics: Travel & Transport, Politics & Law, Apps & Social Media

Printables: 10-Page Lesson, Single-Page Lesson

Lesson

Text

Prime Minister Sunak will apologise for no seatbelt

The British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has apologised for not wearing his seatbelt in a car. Downing Street said Mr Sunak made a “brief error” and that he should not have removed it when promoting himself in a social media video. As an issue of safety, Downing Street said that the Prime Minister believes “everyone should wear a seatbelt”.

In the video on Instagram, Mr Sunak is facing the camera without a seatbelt for a short period of time. Police motorbikes could be seen following the car with the Prime Minister in the back. People can be punished for not wearing a seatbelt with fines up to £500. Exceptions to this include when a car may be used by rescue services.

Some leaders say that it must be embarrassing for the Prime Minister to break such a basic law. Other groups such as the AA, the Automobile Association, warned about the importance of wearing a seatbelt. The British government might make seatbelt rules stronger so people will take the law more seriously.

Mr Sunak is also said to be out of touch with society for recently taking a private jet when he could have taken a train. He said that, to make himself as effective as possible, “I travel around so I can do lots of things in one day”. He would add, “I’m not travelling around just for my own enjoyment — although this is very enjoyable, of course”.

Information sources (external links): independent.co.uk, uk.news.yahoo.com

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Warm-up activities and vocabulary

Activities:

Finish this sentence so that it is true for your beliefs — “Everyone should...”

What types of transport can you list that falls into these categories — cheap, expensive, safe, dangerous, serious, fun.

Make one single sentence that includes the three words (in any order), rule, basic, warn.

Vocabulary:

1. Scan the text and find a word or phrase that means:

  • being careful (paragraph 1)(s...)
  • length (paragraph 2)(p...)
  • special reasons (paragraph 2)(e...)
  • simple (paragraph 3)(b...)
  • personal (paragraph 4)(p...)
Answers
  • safety, period, exceptions, basic, private

2. What does the italicised word below mean — mistake, exit, or pause?

  • Mr Sunak made a “brief error”
Answer
  • mistake

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Reading comprehension true or false

  1. The Prime Minister removed his seatbelt after dropping his phone.
  2. Downing Street said everyone should be fined for removing seatbelts.
  3. Mr Sunak was in trouble for driving while watching Instagram.
  4. A fine of up to £500 is given for not wearing a seatbelt.
  5. There are some exceptions to this law.
  6. Some leaders said this law is easy to understand for Mr Sunak.
  7. The acronym AA stands for Avoid Accidents.
  8. The government are going to double the £500 fine in the future.
  9. The Prime Minister flew by jet instead of by train recently.
  10. Rishi Sunak does enjoy travelling.
Answers
  • 1F, 2F, 3F, 4T, 5T, 6T, 7F, 8F, 9T, 10T

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Phrases, synonyms, and antonyms match-up

Match the words on the left to their endings to make phrases from the text.

  1. rescue
  2. fines
  3. period of
  4. warned
  5. out of
  6. as effective
  7. basic
  8. private
  9. an issue of
  10. wearing
  1. touch
  2. jet
  3. services
  4. as possible
  5. up to £500
  6. about
  7. a seatbelt
  8. safety
  9. law
  10. time
Answers
  • 1C, 2E, 3J, 4F, 5A, 6D, 7I, 8B, 9H, 10G

Match the words on the left from the text to their synonyms.

  1. issue
  2. brief
  3. apologise
  4. warn
  5. face
  1. tell
  2. look at
  3. short
  4. topic
  5. say sorry
Answers
  • 1D, 2C, 3E, 4A, 5B

Match the words on the left from the text to their antonyms.

  1. serious
  2. basic
  3. safety
  1. danger
  2. silly
  3. advanced
Answers
  • 1B, 2C, 3A

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Grammar pairs cloze: modal verbs

  1. A. should / B. shall
  2. A. may / B. should
  3. A. must / B. could
  4. A. can / B. should
  5. A. may / B. could
  1. A. must / B. can
  2. A. would / B. might
  3. A. will / B. must
  4. A. might / B. can
  5. A. would / B. could

The British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has apologised for not wearing his seatbelt in a car. Downing Street said Mr Sunak made a “brief error” and that he 1._______________ not have removed it when promoting himself in a social media video. As an issue of safety, Downing Street said that the Prime Minister believes “everyone 2._______________ wear a seatbelt”.

In the video on Instagram, Mr Sunak is facing the camera without a seatbelt for a short period of time. Police motorbikes 3._______________ be seen following the car with the Prime Minister in the back. People 4._______________ be punished for not wearing a seatbelt with fines up to £500. Exceptions to this include when a car 5._______________ be used by rescue services.

Some leaders say that it 6._______________ be embarrassing for the Prime Minister to break such a basic law. Other groups such as the AA, the Automobile Association, warned about the importance of wearing a seatbelt. The British government 7._______________ make seatbelt rules stronger so people 8._______________ take the law more seriously.

Mr Sunak is also said to be out of touch with society for recently taking a private jet when he could have taken a train. He said that, to make himself as effective as possible, “I travel around so I 9._______________ do lots of things in one day”. He 10._______________ add, “I’m not travelling around just for my own enjoyment — although this is very enjoyable, of course”.

Answers
  1. 1A, 2B, 3B, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7B, 8A, 9B, 10A

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Vocabulary gap-fill cloze

  1. basic
  2. private
  3. rescue
  4. effective
  5. brief
  1. importance
  2. warned
  3. fines
  4. punished
  5. safety

The British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has apologised for not wearing his seatbelt in a car. Downing Street said Mr Sunak made a “1._______________ error” and that he should not have removed it when promoting himself in a social media video. As an issue of 2._______________, Downing Street said that the Prime Minister believes “everyone should wear a seatbelt”.

In the video on Instagram, Mr Sunak is facing the camera without a seatbelt for a short period of time. Police motorbikes could be seen following the car with the Prime Minister in the back. People can be 3._______________ for not wearing a seatbelt with 4._______________ up to £500. Exceptions to this include when a car may be used by 5._______________ services.

Some leaders say that it must be embarrassing for the Prime Minister to break such a 6._______________ law. Other groups such as the AA, the Automobile Association, 7._______________ about the 8._______________ of wearing a seatbelt. The British government might make seatbelt rules stronger so people will take the law more seriously.

Mr Sunak is also said to be out of touch with society for recently taking a 9._______________ jet when he could have taken a train. He said that, to make himself as 10._______________ as possible, “I travel around so I can do lots of things in one day”. He would add, “I’m not travelling around just for my own enjoyment — although this is very enjoyable, of course”.

Answers
  1. 1E, 2J, 3I, 4H, 5C, 6A, 7G, 8F, 9B, 10D

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Writing cloze

  1. has p d o a e o g l i s for not wearing his seatbelt(apo...)
  2. r o g o p t n i m himself in a social media video(pro...)
  3. as an issue of f s e t y a(saf...)
  4. for a short i r e d p o of time(per...)
  5. u i n s d p e h for not wearing a seatbelt(pun...)
  6. c e o x t p i n s e to this include(exc...)
  7. it must be m r a n b e r s a g i s(emb...)
  8. take the law more l e i r o s y s u(ser...)
  9. taking a r i v t a p e jet(pri...)
  10. as f e c f e t e v i as possible(eff...)
Answers
  1. APOLOGISED
  2. PROMOTING
  3. SAFETY
  4. PERIOD
  5. PUNISHED
  6. EXCEPTIONS
  7. EMBARRASSING
  8. SERIOUSLY
  9. PRIVATE
  10. EFFECTIVE

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Fill-in vowels

Th_ Br_t_sh Pr_m_ M_n_st_r R_sh_ S_n_k h_s _p_l_g_s_d f_r n_t w__r_ng h_s s__tb_lt _n _ c_r.

D_wn_ng Str__t s__d Mr S_n_k m_d_ _ “br__f _rr_r” _nd th_t h_ sh__ld n_t h_v_ r_m_v_d _t wh_n pr_m_t_ng h_ms_lf _n _ s_c__l m_d__ v_d__.

_s _n _ss__ _f s_f_ty, D_wn_ng Str__t s__d th_t th_ Pr_m_ M_n_st_r b_l__v_s “_v_ry_n_ sh__ld w__r _ s__tb_lt”.

_n th_ v_d__ _n _nst_gr_m, Mr S_n_k _s f_c_ng th_ c_m_r_ w_th__t _ s__tb_lt f_r _ sh_rt p_r__d _f t_m_.

P_l_c_ m_t_rb_k_s c__ld b_ s__n f_ll_w_ng th_ c_r w_th th_ Pr_m_ M_n_st_r _n th_ b_ck.

P__pl_ c_n b_ p_n_sh_d f_r n_t w__r_ng _ s__tb_lt w_th f_n_s _p t_ £500.

_xc_pt__ns t_ th_s _ncl_d_ wh_n _ c_r m_y b_ _s_d by r_sc__ s_rv_c_s.

S_m_ l__d_rs s_y th_t _t m_st b_ _mb_rr_ss_ng f_r th_ Pr_m_ M_n_st_r t_ br__k s_ch _ b_s_c l_w.

_th_r gr__ps s_ch _s th_ __, th_ __t_m_b_l_ _ss_c__t__n, w_rn_d _b__t th_ _mp_rt_nc_ _f w__r_ng _ s__tb_lt.

Th_ Br_t_sh g_v_rnm_nt m_ght m_k_ s__tb_lt r_l_s str_ng_r s_ p__pl_ w_ll t_k_ th_ l_w m_r_ s_r___sly.

Mr S_n_k _s _ls_ s__d t_ b_ __t _f t__ch w_th s_c__ty f_r r_c_ntly t_k_ng _ pr_v_t_ j_t wh_n h_ c__ld h_v_ t_k_n _ tr__n.

H_ s__d th_t, t_ m_k_ h_ms_lf _s _ff_ct_v_ _s p_ss_bl_, “_ tr_v_l _r__nd s_ _ c_n d_ l_ts _f th_ngs _n _n_ d_y”.

H_ w__ld _dd, “_’m n_t tr_v_ll_ng _r__nd j_st f_r my _wn _nj_ym_nt — _lth__gh th_s _s v_ry _nj_y_bl_, _f c__rs_”.

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Cool-down discussion, game, and keywords

Discussion questions:

  • What vehicles don’t require a seatbelt?
  • Should politicians use private jets to get to meetings? Or is public transport, a personal car, or attending digitally good enough?
  • What would your dream car be?
  • How much do you walk or cycle? How much do you take transport?
  • Does your country have good road safety laws for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles?

How many words can you make from the letters in apologise?

CEFR B1 10 keywords revision list:

basic brief effective fine importance private punish rescue safety warn

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Interactive exercises

Reading comprehension interactive true or false

Choose the correct options from the pairs

Prime Minister Sunak will apologise for no seatbelt

The British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has apologised for not wearing his seatbelt in a car. Downing Street said Mr Sunak made a “brief error” and that he should not have removed it when promoting himself in a social media video. As an issue of safety, Downing Street said that the Prime Minister believes “everyone should wear a seatbelt”.

In the video on Instagram, Mr Sunak is facing the camera without a seatbelt for a short period of time. Police motorbikes could be seen following the car with the Prime Minister in the back. People can be punished for not wearing a seatbelt with fines up to £500. Exceptions to this include when a car may be used by rescue services.

Some leaders say that it must be embarrassing for the Prime Minister to break such a basic law. Other groups such as the AA, the Automobile Association, warned about the importance of wearing a seatbelt. The British government might make seatbelt rules stronger so people will take the law more seriously.

Mr Sunak is also said to be out of touch with society for recently taking a private jet when he could have taken a train. He said that, to make himself as effective as possible, “I travel around so I can do lots of things in one day”. He would add, “I’m not travelling around just for my own enjoyment — although this is very enjoyable, of course”.

1.
The Prime Minister removed his seatbelt after dropping his phone.
2.
Downing Street said everyone should be fined for removing seatbelts.
3.
Mr Sunak was in trouble for driving while watching Instagram.
4.
A fine of up to £500 is given for not wearing a seatbelt.
5.
There are some exceptions to this law.
6.
Some leaders said this law is easy to understand for Mr Sunak.
7.
The acronym AA stands for Avoid Accidents.
8.
The government are going to double the £500 fine in the future.
9.
The Prime Minister flew by jet instead of by train recently.
10.
Rishi Sunak does enjoy travelling.

lesson  |  top

Phrases, synonyms, and antonyms interactive match-up

Select the correct matches from the dropdown menus

Phrases
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Synonyms
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Antonyms
16.
17.
18.

lesson  |  top

Grammar pairs interactive cloze: modal verbs

Choose the correct options from the pairs

The British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has apologised for not wearing his seatbelt in a car. Downing Street said Mr Sunak made a “brief error” and that he
1.
not have removed it when promoting himself in a social media video. As an issue of safety, Downing Street said that the Prime Minister believes “everyone
2.
wear a seatbelt”.
In the video on Instagram, Mr Sunak is facing the camera without a seatbelt for a short period of time. Police motorbikes
3.
be seen following the car with the Prime Minister in the back. People
4.
be punished for not wearing a seatbelt with fines up to £500. Exceptions to this include when a car
5.
be used by rescue services.
Some leaders say that it
6.
be embarrassing for the Prime Minister to break such a basic law. Other groups such as the AA, the Automobile Association, warned about the importance of wearing a seatbelt. The British government
7.
make seatbelt rules stronger so people
8.
take the law more seriously.
Mr Sunak is also said to be out of touch with society for recently taking a private jet when he could have taken a train. He said that, to make himself as effective as possible, “I travel around so I
9.
do lots of things in one day”. He
10.
add, “I’m not travelling around just for my own enjoyment — although this is very enjoyable, of course”.

lesson  |  top

Vocabulary gap-fill interactive cloze

Select the correct answers from the dropdown menus

The British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has apologised for not wearing his seatbelt in a car. Downing Street said Mr Sunak made a “
1.
error” and that he should not have removed it when promoting himself in a social media video. As an issue of
2.
, Downing Street said that the Prime Minister believes “everyone should wear a seatbelt”.
In the video on Instagram, Mr Sunak is facing the camera without a seatbelt for a short period of time. Police motorbikes could be seen following the car with the Prime Minister in the back. People can be
3.
for not wearing a seatbelt with
4.
up to £500. Exceptions to this include when a car may be used by
5.
services.
Some leaders say that it must be embarrassing for the Prime Minister to break such a
6.
law. Other groups such as the AA, the Automobile Association,
7.
about the
8.
of wearing a seatbelt. The British government might make seatbelt rules stronger so people will take the law more seriously.
Mr Sunak is also said to be out of touch with society for recently taking a
9.
jet when he could have taken a train. He said that, to make himself as
10.
as possible, “I travel around so I can do lots of things in one day”. He would add, “I’m not travelling around just for my own enjoyment — although this is very enjoyable, of course”.

lesson  |  top

Interactive writing cloze

Type the words correctly in the boxes

The British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has
1.
for not wearing his seatbelt in a car. Downing Street said Mr Sunak made a “brief error” and that he should not have removed it when
2.
himself in a social media video. As an issue of
3.
,
Downing Street said that the Prime Minister believes “everyone should wear a seatbelt”.
In the video on Instagram, Mr Sunak is facing the camera without a seatbelt for a short
4.
of time. Police motorbikes could be seen following the car with the Prime Minister in the back. People can be
5.
for not wearing a seatbelt with fines up to £500.
6.
to this include when a car may be used by rescue services.
Some leaders say that it must be
7.
for the Prime Minister to break such a basic law. Other groups such as the AA, the Automobile Association, warned about the importance of wearing a seatbelt. The British government might make seatbelt rules stronger so people will take the law more
8.
.
Mr Sunak is also said to be out of touch with society for recently taking a
9.
jet when he could have taken a train. He said that, to make himself as
10.
as possible, “I travel around so I can do lots of things in one day”. He would add, “I’m not travelling around just for my own enjoyment — although this is very enjoyable, of course”.

lesson  |  top

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