Levi Strauss: Their Pockets Tore Again and Again… Then Two Men Made Blue Jeans
Level A1 (Beginner) · Watch the video and do the online quiz at https://brightlivesenglish.com/lessons/levi-strauss-blue-jeans/
A Match the words to their meanings
- miner (noun)
- cloth (noun)
- strong (adjective)
- pocket (noun)
- jeans (noun)
- rivet (noun)
- tailor (noun)
- trousers (noun)
- does not tear or break easily
- a small metal pin that holds two things together
- a small bag in clothes
- material for clothes
- a person who makes clothes
- trousers of blue cloth
- a person who digs in the ground for metal or coal
- clothes for your legs
B Complete the sentences from the story
rivets · miners · strong · jeans · pockets · cloth · trousers · tailor
- He sold to small shops.
- She wanted strong .
- Today, people all over the world wear .
- Many came to California.
- Jacob Davis was a .
- A woman wanted trousers for her husband.
- His tore again and again.
- There were small metal on the pockets.
C Did you understand?
- Levi Strauss was a miner.True / False
- Who had the idea of the rivets?
- A miner
- Levi's mother
- Jacob Davis, a tailor
- A teacher
- When did Levi and Jacob get a patent?
- 1829
- 1873
- 1853
- 1960
- The first name for jeans was "waist overalls".True / False
D Put the words in order
- small / the / metal / There / pockets / rivets / on / were
E Grammar: in · on · under · next to
We use it for to say where things are. There were small metal rivets on the pockets. · He went to San Francisco, in California.
Example from the story: There were small metal rivets on the pockets.
- There were small metal rivets the pockets. (on / at / of)
- My keys are my pocket. (in / under / next)
- The shop is next the bank. (to / of / at)
F Your turn
Retell Levi Strauss's story in 5–6 sentences. Use at least three words from exercise A.
Transcript
Workers' pockets tore again and again.
A tailor had an idea.
This is the story of Levi Strauss.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
Miner. A miner digs in the ground for metal or coal.
Many miners came to California.
Cloth. Cloth is material for clothes.
He sold cloth to small shops.
Strong. Strong things do not tear easily.
A woman wanted strong trousers for her husband.
Pocket. A pocket is a small bag in clothes.
His pockets tore again and again.
Jeans. Jeans are blue cloth trousers.
Today, people all over the world wear jeans.
Now, one pattern: in, on, under, next to.
There were small metal rivets on the pockets.
Ready? Let's begin.
Levi Strauss was born in Germany in 1829.
He lived in New York.
In 1853, he went to San Francisco.
Many miners came to California.
He sold cloth to small shops.
Jacob Davis, a tailor, bought Levi's cloth.
A woman wanted strong trousers for her husband.
His pockets tore again and again.
Jacob had an idea.
There were small metal rivets on the pockets.
The pockets were strong!
In 1873, Levi and Jacob got a patent.
People called them "waist overalls".
Later, they called them jeans.
Today, people all over the world wear jeans.
Let's review. Many miners came to California.
He sold cloth to small shops.
A woman wanted strong trousers for her husband.
His pockets tore again and again.
Today, people all over the world wear jeans.
And remember: there were small metal rivets on the pockets.
Levi and Jacob's story teaches us: together, small ideas grow big.
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Answer key
A. 1g 2d 3a 4c 5f 6b 7e 8h
B. 1 cloth · 2 trousers · 3 jeans · 4 miners · 5 tailor · 6 strong · 7 pockets · 8 rivets
C. 1 False · 2 c · 3 b · 4 True
D. 1 There were small metal rivets on the pockets.
E. 1 on · 2 in · 3 to