Pre-questions
1) What is the best hotel you’ve ever stayed in? Why was it the best?
2) Have you ever forgotten something important before or while travelling?
3) What would you do if you left something behind in another country?
4) Do you have any favourite items of clothing? Why?
5) Have you ever lost a favourite piece of clothing?
6) Do you like to buy clothes or souvenirs when you’re abroad?
7) Have you ever been to Spain? What do you think about Spanish culture?
Tell your student they are going to read a short article called ‘I Want my Pants Back’ and then brainstorm some ideas what could be behind the article. Encourage more details on your students’ suggestions even if they aren’t correct. Also point out the difference between the word pants in the UK and USA and how in this story it is referring to the UK version.
As you can see, key words have been highlighted under each paragraph. You can get your student to read aloud and then go over the words together if needed after each paragraph.
I Want My Pants Back
A man from Sweden made international headlines this month when he flew all the way back to Spain just to pick up his forgotten underwear. The man, in his early 30s, said the underwear had “sentimental value” and were “too important to leave behind.”
In his early 30s – someone who is 30–33 years old.
Make headlines / headlines – When a news story is very big and is being shown and talked about on news channels around the world / The 'title' of news stories that appear in newspapers or online.
Sentimental value – when something is important to you because of memories or emotions.
Leave behind – to accidentally or intentionally not take something with you.
The man had been on holiday in Málaga, in the south of Spain, for a short weekend break. He stayed at a small hotel close to the beach, but when he got home to Sweden, he realised he had left behind his favourite pair of underwear—a gift from his ex-girlfriend.
A weekend break - a short trip to relax usually from Friday to Sunday
Realise – to suddenly understand or remember something.
Ex-girlfriend – a woman who used to be your romantic partner.
The man said: “At first I thought, forget it, it's just underwear. But then I started thinking about how many good memories were connected to them. It felt wrong to leave them behind like that.” He immediately booked the next available flight back to Spain, picked up the underwear from the hotel, and flew home again the same day.
Forget it – a phrase meaning “It’s not important” or “Never mind.”
Connected to – when something is linked or related to something else.
It felt wrong – a feeling you have inside that you shouldn’t do something
Immediately – right away; without waiting.
The hotel staff were stunned when he showed up just for the underwear. One staff member said: “We thought he must have left something really valuable, like jewellery or a passport. But no, it was just a pair of pants. We couldn’t believe it!” "The bizarre thing is, he didn't contact us. We told him we would have posted his pants to him, but he said he couldn't take the chance'
Stunned – very surprised or shocked.
Showed up - to arrive somewhere when someone is not expecting you
Valuable – worth a lot of money or very important.
Bizarre - something very strange
Jewellery – rings, necklaces, earrings etc.
Can't/Couldn't take the chance - when you can't risk doing something
Some people online praised the man for his dedication, while others joked about the “world’s most expensive underwear” considering the cost of flights. One user said " the man needs to get over his ex and move on and leaving his pants in Spain would have been the perfect opportunity for a fresh start. The man, however, says he has no regrets.
Praised – said positive things about someone.
Dedication – when you care a lot about something and make a big effort.
To get over (s/o) - to forget about someone you were in a romantic relationship with
To move on - to understand a relationship is over and start your life without that person
No regrets – you don’t feel bad about anything you did in the past.
Post-questions
1. Do you think it was crazy or sweet to fly back for the underwear?
2. Is there anything you would fly back to a country for?
3. Why do you think he split up with his ex?
4. If you worked in the hotel and got an email or call about the underwear, what would you do?
5. If you could ask the man one question, what would you ask him?
Reading Vocab questions
Do you own anything with sentimental value?
Can you think of a time when you were stunned by someone’s behaviour?
What do you think is a valuable skill to have in today's world?
Have you ever done or seen anything that just felt wrong?
Can you think of any news stories that have made headlines recently?
Do you like it when friends show up at your flat?
If you went on a weekend break this coming weekend, where would you go and why?
Need to print? Here is the DOC
Enjoy!
Luke - Native Speaker Online
