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Red Buses

Episode of the series Great Stuff

CEFR: A1

In this episode

Illustrated slideshow (13 images)
Glossary (10 words)
Comprehension quiz (17 questions)
19 cultural notes

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The episode

Why are London's buses red? Two friends find out how one big bus company painted the whole city's buses red.

Episode worksheets (2)

Student sheet In your teacher account
Teacher sheet In your teacher account

Teaching guide

Objective & content

This Great Stuff Short is a quick dialogue between two speakers about the history of London's red buses. They explain how one bus company painted its buses red, bought smaller rivals and spread the colour, until London Transport made red official in the 1930s. They also mention the old Routemaster, the bus with no doors at the back. The grammar focus is the past simple, regular and irregular (painted, bought, joined), with vocabulary for transport and colours. Learners listen to the audio and answer the in-app questions. One line to notice: "You can spot a London bus from miles away."

Materials & prerequisites

The folder holds the audio, the slideshow, the script, a student sheet and a teacher sheet with the answer key (PDF); it has no lesson plan. Learners should know the colour words and the present simple, and should have met the past simple of a few common verbs.

Curriculum alignment

Tagged c3-child-and-wider-environment (cycle 3, 6e). The episode targets CEFR level A1-.

Possible adaptations

Lower levels: Offer segmented listening and additional visual aids.
Advanced levels: Encourage an oral summary and a debate in English on the theme.
Large groups: Organise group work with differentiated roles.

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