The Reading / Listening - Level 5

The United States and United Kingdom are waging war on sugar in the interests of public health. They say that people eat too much sugar and this is harmful to people's well-being. On Thursday, the U.S. printed new dietary guidelines. These strongly recommend people get less than 10 per cent of their daily calories from added sugar. On the same day, Britain's Prime Minister said he did not rule out the idea of a tax on sugar so people would buy food with less sugar in it. Politicians in the U.K. are discussing how less sugar in food could help reduce Britain's rising rates of obesity.

The governments both cite a study carried out in Mexico that showed how a tax on carbonated drinks reduced consumption. The tax meant sales of sugary drinks went down by 12 per cent in 2014. Sales of mineral water went up by four per cent in the same year. An alternative to taxing sugared drinks is to reduce the level of sugar in them. Researchers at a London university said that cutting the sugar content in drinks by 40 per cent over five years could prevent one million cases of obesity in the U.K. Researchers say people might not even notice this.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 4 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/01/sugar-is-the-new-public-health-enemy-1/423207/
  • http://www.sciencealert.com/gradually-reducing-sugar-in-sweet-drinks-could-prevent-1-million-cases-of-obesity-in-the-uk-study-finds
  • http://www.lfpress.com/2016/01/08/Sugar could be harmful to our health


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

waging war

a.

are discussing how

2.

in the interests

b.

well-being

3.

harmful to people's

c.

less sugar in it

4.

he did not rule

d.

rates of obesity

5.

buy food with

e.

on sugar

6.

Politicians in the U.K.

f.

in food

7.

less sugar

g.

of public health

8.

reduce Britain's rising

h.

out the idea



MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

carbonated

a.

content in drinks

2.

sales of sugary drinks went

b.

of obesity

3.

An alternative to taxing

c.

drinks

4.

reduce the level of

d.

over five years

5.

cutting the sugar

e.

down by 12 per cent

6.

by 40 per cent

f.

even notice this

7.

prevent one million cases

g.

sugar in them

8.

people might not

h.

sugared drinks

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

The United States and United Kingdom are (1) ___________________ sugar in the interests of public health. They say (2) ___________________ too much sugar and this is harmful to people's well-being. On Thursday, the U.S. printed new (3) ___________________. These strongly recommend people get less than 10 per cent of their (4) ___________________ from added sugar. On the same day, Britain's Prime Minister said (5) ___________________ the idea of a tax on sugar so people would buy food with less sugar in it. Politicians in the U.K. are discussing how less sugar in food could help reduce Britain's rising (6) ___________________.

The governments (7) ___________________ carried out in Mexico that showed how a tax on (8) ___________________ reduced consumption. The tax meant sales (9) ___________________ went down by 12 per cent in 2014. Sales of mineral water (10) ___________________ per cent in the same year. An alternative to taxing sugared drinks is to reduce the level of sugar in them. Researchers at a London university (11) ___________________ the sugar content in drinks by 40 per cent over five years could prevent one million cases of obesity in the U.K. Researchers say people might (12) ___________________ this.

SUGAR SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about sugar in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

 

STUDENT 1

_____________

STUDENT 2

_____________

STUDENT 3

_____________

Q.1.

 

 

 

 

Q.2.

 

 

 

 

Q.3.

 

 

 

 

Q.4.

 

 

 

 

Q.5.

 

 

 

 

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

 



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Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about sugar for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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