RoundTalk

Clocks fell back this week: time to finally end the twice-a-year change?

English · A1 worksheet Based on the RoundTalk episode of

Free for classroom use. Students listen to the first 75 seconds and read the beginning of the debate, then work on the tasks. The answer key is on the last page. The panelists are fictional characters with AI voices.

Episode page
1 · Listen (first 75 seconds)

2 · Read

Host

Welcome to RoundTalk. Clocks went back Sunday. Should we stop changing time? Margaret works with sleep. James runs restaurants. Patricia has two kids.

Host

Margaret, clocks just changed. What does your body need?

Margaret Chen

I want standard time. Permanent. My body needs light in the morning. Not at night. Morning light wakes me up. People can sleep better.

Host

James, you run shops. Does evening light help your business?

James Morrison

Yes! Late daylight helps a lot. People stay out. They eat. They buy more. Monday at six, nobody comes.

Host

Patricia, you have two kids. Evening light or morning light? What matters more?

Patricia Valdez

Late daylight. My son plays ball at five. On Monday he can't see. Practice stops. Kids need that hour.

James Morrison

Morning light? Margaret, nobody goes out at seven.

Margaret Chen

No way. Millions go out at seven. Kids walk to school. People drive to work. They need morning light, because they can't see.

Patricia Valdez

No, no, wait. My daughter walks to school at seven. The street is not light. That is real, James.

Host

James.

James Morrison

Patricia, schools can start later; shops can't.

Host

Margaret, James says shops matter more. But the Sunshine Protection Act says permanent daylight or standard time. Which one?

Margaret Chen

Permanent standard time. Not daylight. Scientists say this. I see it every week at work. Morning light helps sleep. The Sunshine Protection Act picks wrong.

Key vocabulary

  • daylight — natural light from the sun during the day
  • permanent — lasting or continuing without change forever
  • clock — device that shows and measures time
  • lock — to fasten or fix something in place
  • switch — a change from one thing to another
  • committee — group of people appointed for a specific function

Comprehension questions

  1. What does Margaret's body need?
  2. Why does James think evening light helps his business?
  3. What time does Patricia's son play ball?
  4. Why does Patricia say morning light matters for her daughter?
  5. What does Margaret say scientists think is better for sleep?

True or false?

  1. James Morrison says people come to shops at six o'clock on Monday. T / F
  2. Patricia Valdez has two children. T / F
  3. Margaret Chen wants permanent daylight time. T / F
  4. James says schools can start later, but shops cannot. T / F

Discuss in pairs

  1. Do you think morning light or evening light is more important for you and your family? Why?
  2. Which person do you agree with more—Margaret, James, or Patricia? What is your reason?
  3. If you could choose one time all year (morning light or evening light), which would you choose and why?

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Answer key

Comprehension
  1. Margaret's body needs light in the morning, not at night.
  2. Because people stay out, eat, and buy more when it is light in the evening.
  3. Patricia's son plays ball at five in the evening.
  4. Because her daughter walks to school at seven and the street is not light in the morning.
  5. Scientists say morning light helps sleep, so Margaret wants permanent standard time.
True or false
  1. False
  2. True
  3. False
  4. True

roundtalk · https://www.getroundtalk.com/listen/english/a1/clocks-fell-back-this-week-time-to-finally-end-the-twice-a-year-change/worksheet/