Breaking News English Lesson: Happy Heart Syndrome

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Happiness can break your heart too (5th March, 2016)

The Reading / Listening - Level 3

Scientists have said it isn't just sad things that make us brokenhearted. Happy events can also be bad for our heart. A broken heart is an actual medical condition. It is not just the sadness we feel when someone we love does not return that love. We get broken heart syndrome when we are highly stressed. We also get it during emotional times, such as a relationship breakup, the death of family and friends, or the loss of a job. The medical name for this is Takotsubo Syndrome (TTS). Researchers say people can get TTS, and even be at risk of sudden death, when very happy things happen. The doctors who discovered this have called it "happy heart syndrome".

The researchers' study was published in the European Heart Journal on Thursday. Heart experts Dr Christian Templin and Dr Jelena Ghadri analysed data from 1,750 patients who suffered from Takotsubo Syndrome. The sufferers were from nine different countries. They found 485 patients got TTS because of an emotional happening. Twenty of these had TTS because of a happy or joyful event. The patients had heart problems after events like a birthday party, a wedding, a favourite sports team winning a game, and the birth of a grandchild. Dr Ghadri said our body and brain may think happy and sad events are similar, so both can result in Takotsubo Syndrome.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

Level 0, Level 1 or Level 2

Sources

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-03-happiness-heart.html
http://www.healthaim.com/happy-heart-syndrome-scientists-find-happiness-can-break-heart-kill-people/43668#ixzz41q69o85e
http://www.livescience.com/53919-broken-heart-syndrome-linked-to-positive-emotions.html

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 40 Lesson Activities on the PDF Handout

WARM-UPS

1. BROKEN HEARTS: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about broken hearts. Change partners often and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?

scientists / brokenhearted / medical condition / emotional / relationship / doctors / published / experts / patients / joyful / heart problems / birthday party / grandchild

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. EMOTIONAL TIMES: How can people get over these? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

	How to help?
Relationship breakup
Death in a family
Job loss
Serious illness
Bullying
Depression

4. DON'T WORRY: Students A strongly believe we shouldn't worry about happy heart syndrome; Students B strongly believe we should. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

5. HAPPY: Rank these with your partner. Put the happiest at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

• birth of a grandchild

• winning the lottery

• getting married

• graduating from university

• your favourite meal

• a first date

• sports team winning

• going on holiday

6. MEDICAL: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "medical". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

a.	Scientists say only sad things break our heart.	T / F
b.	A broken heart isn't a real medical condition.	T / F
c.	Stress can give us "broken heart syndrome".	T / F
d.	Doctors discovered a condition called "happy heart syndrome".	T / F
e.	Doctors looked at data from less than 2,000 people.	T / F
f.	Doctors found 485 people with happy heart syndrome.	T / F
g.	Doctors say someone could get happy heart syndrome from a wedding.	T / F
h.	Our brain treats happy and sad events very differently.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.	actual	a.	report
2.	return	b.	looked over
3.	name	c.	found
4.	sudden	d.	event
5.	discovered	e.	real
6.	study	f.	alike
7.	experts	g.	unexpected
8.	analysed	h.	term
9.	happening	i.	specialists
10.	similar	j.	give back

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1.	it isn't just sad things that make	a.	breakup
2.	A broken heart is an actual	b.	return that love
3.	when someone we love does not	c.	joyful event
4.	a relationship	d.	us brokenhearted
5.	be at risk	e.	of a grandchild
6.	published in the	f.	in Takotsubo Syndrome
7.	Dr Jelena Ghadri analysed data	g.	medical condition
8.	a happy or	h.	from 1,750 patients
9.	the birth	i.	of sudden death
10.	both can result	j.	European Heart Journal

GAP FILL

Scientists have said it isn't (1) ____________ sad things that make us brokenhearted. Happy (2) ____________ can also be bad for our heart. A broken heart is an (3) ____________ medical condition. It is not just the sadness we feel when someone we love does not (4) ____________ that love. We get broken heart syndrome when we are highly stressed. We also get it (5) ____________ emotional times, such as a relationship breakup, the death of family and friends, or the (6) ____________ of a job. The medical name for this is Takotsubo Syndrome (TTS). Researchers say people can get TTS, and even be at risk of (7) ____________ death, when very happy things happen. The doctors who (8) ____________ this have called it "happy heart syndrome".

actual
during
just
sudden
events
discovered
return
loss

The researchers' study was (9) ____________ in the European Heart Journal on Thursday. Heart (10) ____________ Dr Christian Templin and Dr Jelena Ghadri analysed data from 1,750 patients who (11) ____________ from Takotsubo Syndrome. The sufferers were from nine different countries. They found 485 (12) ____________ got TTS because of an (13) ____________ happening. Twenty of these had TTS because of a happy or (14) ____________ event. The patients had heart problems after events like a birthday party, a wedding, a favourite sports team (15) ____________ a game, and the birth of a grandchild. Dr Ghadri said our body and brain may think happy and sad events are (16) ____________, so both can result in Takotsubo Syndrome.

suffered
published
emotional
winning
patients
similar
experts
joyful

LISTENING - Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)	Scientists have said it isn't just sad things that make ______
	a. we brokenhearted b. us brokenhearted c. as brokenhearted d. us broken heart it
2)	It is not just the sadness we feel when someone we love does not ______
	a. return that loved b. return that love c. return that loved d. return that lover
3)	We get broken heart syndrome when we ______
	a. are highly stress b. are highly stressed c. are highly stresses d. are highly stressing
4)	such as a relationship breakup, the death of family and friends, or ______
	a. the lost of a job b. the loss for a job c. the lost for a job d. the loss of a job
5)	people can get TTS, and even be at risk of sudden death, when very ______
	a. happy thing happen b. happy things happens c. happy thing happens d. happy things happen
6)	The researchers' study was published in the European Heart ______
	a. Journal in Thursday b. General on Thursday c. Journal on Thursday d. General in Thursday
7)	Heart experts Dr Christian Templin and Dr Jelena Ghadri analysed data ______
	a. form 1,750 patients b. from 1,750 patients c. frame 1,750 patients d. farm 1,750 patients
8)	They found 485 patients got TTS because of an ______
	a. emotion all happening b. emotional happen in c. emotion all happen in d. emotional happening
9)	a wedding, a favourite sports team winning a game, and the birth ______
	a. of a grand children b. of the grandchild c. offer grandchild d. of a grandchild
10)	Dr Ghadri said our body and brain may think happy and sad ______
	a. events are similar b. events are similarity c. events are sommelier d. events are smaller

LISTENING – Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists have said (1) ___________________ sad things that make us brokenhearted. Happy events can (2) ___________________ our heart. A broken heart is an actual medical condition. It is not just the sadness we feel when someone we love does (3) ___________________ love. We get broken heart syndrome when we are highly stressed. We also get it during emotional times, (4) ___________________ relationship breakup, the death of family and friends, (5) ___________________ a job. The medical name for this is Takotsubo Syndrome (TTS). Researchers say people can get TTS, and even be at risk of sudden death, when very (6) ___________________. The doctors who discovered this have called it "happy heart syndrome".

The researchers' study (7) ___________________ the European Heart Journal on Thursday. Heart experts Dr Christian Templin and Dr Jelena Ghadri analysed data from 1,750 patients (8) ___________________ Takotsubo Syndrome. The sufferers were from nine different countries. They found 485 patients got TTS because (9) ___________________ happening. Twenty of these had TTS because of a happy or joyful event. The patients (10) ___________________ after events like a birthday party, a wedding, a favourite sports team winning a game, (11) ___________________ a grandchild. Dr Ghadri said our body and brain may think happy and sad events are similar, (12) ___________________ in Takotsubo Syndrome.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.	Who said it wasn't just sad things that break our heart?
2.	What did the article say was a real medical condition?
3.	What do we get when we are highly stressed?
4.	What is the medical name for broken heart syndrome?
5.	Who made the name "happy heart syndrome"?
6.	When was the study on TTS published?
7.	How many different patients did doctors look at?
8.	How many different countries were the TTS patients from?
9.	How many patients had happy heart syndrome?
10.	What do our body and brain think happy and sad events are?

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ

1.	Who said it wasn't just sad things that break our heart?	6.	When was the study on TTS published?
	a) sad people b) scientists c) happy people d) the broken-hearted		a) Thursday b) Sunday c) Tuesday d) Saturday
2.	What did the article say was a real medical condition?	7.	How many different patients did doctors look at?
	a) stress b) happiness c) a broken heart d) sadness		a) 1,570 b) 1,770 c) 1,550 d) 1,750
3.	What do we get when we are highly stressed?	8.	How many different countries were the TTS patients from?
	a) headaches b) more stressed c) sleeplessness d) broken heart syndrome		a) 7 b) 8 c) 9 d) 10
4.	What is the medical name for broken heart syndrome?	9.	How many patients had happy heart syndrome?
	a) Tracksuit Syndrome b) Takotsubo Syndrome c) Taco Tubes Syndrome d) Tack-O-Sue-Bo Syndrome		a) 50 b) 40 c) 30 d) 20
5.	Who made the name "happy heart syndrome"?	10.	What do our body and brain think happy and sad events are?
	a) doctors b) happy people c) sad people d) the broken-hearted		a) syndromes b) similar c) exact d) identical

ROLE PLAY

Role A – Birth of a grandchild

You think the birth of a grandchild is the happiest event. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things aren't as happy. Also, tell the others which is the least happy of these (and why): winning the lottery, a favourite meal or going on holiday.

Role B – Winning the lottery

You think winning the lottery is the happiest event. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things aren't as happy. Also, tell the others which is the least happy of these (and why): the birth of a grandchild, a favourite meal or going on holiday.

Role C – A favourite meal

You think a favourite meal is the happiest event. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things aren't as happy. Also, tell the others which is the least happy of these (and why): winning the lottery, the birth of a grandchild or going on holiday.

Role D – Going on holiday

You think going on holiday is the happiest event. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things aren't as happy. Also, tell the others which is the least happy of these (and why): winning the lottery, a favourite meal or the birth of a grandchild.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words 'broken' and 'heart'.

broken

heart

Share your findings with your partners.

Make questions using the words you found.
Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

make
actual
return
highly
name
sudden

published
data
nine
485
20
result

BROKEN HEARTS SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about broken hearts 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.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

BROKEN HEARTS DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1)	What did you think when you read the headline?
2)	What springs to mind when you hear the word 'happiness'?
3)	What do you think about what you read?
4)	How might happiness be unhealthy?
5)	Have you ever had a broken heart?
6)	How can you cure a broken heart?
7)	What advice do you have for someone who is brokenhearted?
8)	What things can cause a broken heart?
9)	What's the happiest thing that happened to you recently?
10)	What do you do to keep your heart healthy?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

11)	Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
12)	What do you know about the heart?
13)	How emotional are you?
14)	How happy are you?
15)	Will you try and be less happy at happy events in future?
16)	How dangerous is stress?
17)	In what ways are happiness and sadness similar?
18)	How often are you happy and how often are you sad?
19)	Should happy events carry a health warning?
20)	What questions would you like to ask the researchers?

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

LANGUAGE - CLOZE

Scientists have said it isn't (1) ____ sad things that make us brokenhearted. Happy events can also be bad for our heart. A broken heart is an (2) ____ medical condition. It is not just the sadness we feel when someone we love does not (3) ____ that love. We get broken heart syndrome when we are (4) ____ stressed. We also get it during emotional times, such as a relationship breakup, the death of family and friends, or the (5) ____ of a job. The medical name for this is Takotsubo Syndrome (TTS). Researchers say people can get TTS, and even be (6) ____ risk of sudden death, when very happy things happen. The doctors who discovered this have called it "happy heart syndrome".

The researchers' study was published (7) ____ the European Heart Journal on Thursday. Heart experts Dr Christian Templin and Dr Jelena Ghadri analysed data from 1,750 patients who (8) ____ from Takotsubo Syndrome. The sufferers were from nine different countries. They found 485 patients (9) ____ TTS because of an emotional (10) ____. Twenty of these had TTS because of a happy or joyful event. The patients had heart problems after events like a birthday party, a wedding, a favourite sports team winning a game, and the (11) ____ of a grandchild. Dr Ghadri said our body and brain may think happy and sad events are similar, so both can result (12) ____ Takotsubo Syndrome.

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.	(a)	justly	(b)	justice	(c)	just	(d)	adjust
2.	(a)	actual	(b)	actually	(c)	actualise	(d)	actuality
3.	(a)	return	(b)	reply	(c)	respond	(d)	redo
4.	(a)	highly	(b)	heighten	(c)	high	(d)	height
5.	(a)	less	(b)	loss	(c)	lost	(d)	least
6.	(a)	of	(b)	by	(c)	as	(d)	at
7.	(a)	on	(b)	at	(c)	in	(d)	to
8.	(a)	suffer	(b)	suffers	(c)	suffering	(d)	suffered
9.	(a)	got	(b)	did	(c)	received	(d)	took
10.	(a)	happening	(b)	happen	(c)	happens	(d)	happened
11.	(a)	born	(b)	birth	(c)	deliver	(d)	delivered
12.	(a)	at	(b)	to	(c)	in	(d)	by

SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	sad things that make us hektradoenber
2.	an actual medical dictonnio
3.	when we are highly dstsrees
4.	during tolmnaeio times
5.	at risk of dnuesd death
6.	The doctors who recvoesddi this
Paragraph 2
7.	lsidupebh in the European Heart Journal
8.	aysealnd (UK) yzndaeal (USA) data
9.	because of a happy or flyoju event
10.	The asinptte had heart problems
11.	the birth of a cdinlhdagr
12.	happy and sad events are mrliais

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	love does not return that love. We get broken heart syndrome when we are highly stressed. We also get it during
( 1 )	Scientists have said it isn't just sad things that make us brokenhearted. Happy events can also be bad
( )	name for this is Takotsubo Syndrome (TTS). Researchers say people can get TTS, and even be at risk of sudden
( )	countries. They found 485 patients got TTS because of an emotional happening. Twenty of
( )	of a grandchild. Dr Ghadri said our body and brain may think happy and
( )	these had TTS because of a happy or joyful event. The patients had heart problems after events
( )	emotional times, such as a relationship breakup, the death of family and friends, or the loss of a job. The medical
( )	The researchers' study was published in the European Heart Journal on Thursday. Heart
( )	sad events are similar, so both can result in Takotsubo Syndrome.
( )	for our heart. A broken heart is an actual medical condition. It is not just the sadness we feel when someone we
( )	death, when very happy things happen. The doctors who discovered this have called it "happy heart syndrome".
( )	experts Dr Christian Templin and Dr Jelena Ghadri analysed data from 1,750 patients who suffered
( )	like a birthday party, a wedding, a favourite sports team winning a game, and the birth
( )	from Takotsubo Syndrome. The sufferers were from nine different

PUT THE WORDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER

1.	isn't things us It sad make just that brokenhearted .
2.	is an A actual broken medical heart condition .
3.	we not love someone does that When love return .
4.	get broken heart syndrome when we are highly stressed We .
5.	happen things happy very when death sudden of risk at Be .
6.	Journal in on the Thursday European Heart Published .
7.	data from 1,750 patients who suffered Ghadri analysed .
8.	different from sufferers countries nine were The .
9.	joyful a TTS of event happy because these or of had Twenty .
10.	party Patients had heart problems after events like a birthday .

CIRCLE THE CORRECT WORD (20 PAIRS)

Scientists have said it isn't just sad / sadly things that make us brokenhearted. Happy events can also be badly / bad for our heart. A broken heart is an actual / actually medical condition. It is not just the sadness we feel when someone we loving / love does not return / returning that love. We get broken heart syndrome when we are highly / high stressed. We also get it between / during emotional times, such has / as a relationship breakup, the death of family and friends, or the loss of a job. The medical name for this is Takotsubo Syndrome (TTS). Researchers say people can get TTS, and ever / even be at risk of sudden death, when very happy things happen. The doctors who discovered / discovery this have called it "happy heart syndrome".

The researchers' study was publishing / published in the European Heart Journal on Thursday. Heart experts / expats Dr Christian Templin and Dr Jelena Ghadri analysed data from 1,750 patients who suffering / suffered from Takotsubo Syndrome. The sufferers were from nine difference / different countries. They found 485 patience / patients got TTS because of an emotional happening / happened. Twenty of these had TTS because of a happy or joyfully / joyful event. The patients had heart problems after events like / such a birthday party, a wedding, a favourite sports team winning a game, and the birth / born of a grandchild. Dr Ghadri said our body and brain may think happy and sad events are similar, so both can result on / in Takotsubo Syndrome.

Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

INSERT THE VOWELS (a, e, i, o, u)

Sc__nt_sts h_v_ s__d _t _sn't j_st s_d th_ngs th_t m_k_ _s br_k_nh__rt_d. H_ppy _v_nts c_n _ls_ b_ b_d f_r __r h__rt. _ br_k_n h__rt _s _n _ct__l m_d_c_l c_nd_t__n. _t _s n_t j_st th_ s_dn_ss w_ f__l wh_n s_m__n_ w_ l_v_ d__s n_t r_t_rn th_t l_v_. W_ g_t br_k_n h__rt syndr_m_ wh_n w_ _r_ h_ghly str_ss_d. W_ _ls_ g_t _t d_r_ng _m_t__n_l t_m_s, s_ch _s _ r_l_t__nsh_p br__k_p, th_ d__th _f f_m_ly _nd fr__nds, _r th_ l_ss _f _ j_b. Th_ m_d_c_l n_m_ f_r th_s _s T_k_ts_b_ Syndr_m_ (TTS). R_s__rch_rs s_y p__pl_ c_n g_t TTS, _nd _v_n b_ _t r_sk _f s_dd_n d__th, wh_n v_ry h_ppy th_ngs h_pp_n. Th_ d_ct_rs wh_ d_sc_v_r_d th_s h_v_ c_ll_d _t "h_ppy h__rt syndr_m_".

Th_ r_s__rch_rs' st_dy w_s p_bl_sh_d _n th_ __r_p__n H__rt J__rn_l _n Th_rsd_y. H__rt _xp_rts Dr Chr_st__n T_mpl_n _nd Dr J_l_n_ Gh_dr_ _n_lys_d d_t_ fr_m 1,750 p_t__nts wh_ s_ff_r_d fr_m T_k_ts_b_ Syndr_m_. Th_ s_ff_r_rs w_r_ fr_m n_n_ d_ff_r_nt c__ntr__s. Th_y f__nd 485 p_t__nts g_t TTS b_c__s_ _f _n _m_t__n_l h_pp_n_ng. Tw_nty _f th_s_ h_d TTS b_c__s_ _f _ h_ppy _r j_yf_l _v_nt. Th_ p_t__nts h_d h__rt pr_bl_ms _ft_r _v_nts l_k_ _ b_rthd_y p_rty, _ w_dd_ng, _ f_v__r_t_ sp_rts t__m w_nn_ng _ g_m_, _nd th_ b_rth _f _ gr_ndch_ld. Dr Gh_dr_ s__d __r b_dy _nd br__n m_y th_nk h_ppy _nd s_d _v_nts _r_ s_m_l_r, s_ b_th c_n r_s_lt _n T_k_ts_b_ Syndr_m_.

PUNCTUATE THE TEXT AND ADD CAPITALS

scientists have said it isn't just sad things that make us brokenhearted happy events can also be bad for our heart a broken heart is an actual medical condition it is not just the sadness we feel when someone we love does not return that love we get broken heart syndrome when we are highly stressed we also get it during emotional times such as a relationship breakup the death of family and friends or the loss of a job the medical name for this is takotsubo syndrome (tts) researchers say people can get tts and even be at risk of sudden death when very happy things happen the doctors who discovered this have called it "happy heart syndrome"

the researchers' study was published in the european heart journal on thursday heart experts dr christian templin and dr jelena ghadri analysed data from 1750 patients who suffered from takotsubo syndrome the sufferers were from nine different countries they found 485 patients got tts because of an emotional happening twenty of these had tts because of a happy or joyful event the patients had heart problems after events like a birthday party a wedding a favourite sports team winning a game and the birth of a grandchild dr ghadri said our body and brain may think happy and sad events are similar so both can result in takotsubo syndrome

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

Scientistshavesaiditisn'tjustsadthingsthatmakeusbrokenhearted.H
appyeventscanalsobebadforourheart.Abrokenheartisanactualmedi
calcondition.Itisnotjustthesadnesswefeelwhensomeonewelovedoes
notreturnthatlove.Wegetbrokenheartsyndromewhenwearehighlyst
ressed.Wealsogetitduringemotionaltimes,suchasarelationshipbrea
kup,thedeathoffamilyandfriends,orthelossofajob.Themedicalnamef
orthisisTakotsuboSyndrome(TTS).ResearcherssaypeoplecangetTT
S,andevenbeatriskofsuddendeath,whenveryhappythingshappen.T
hedoctorswhodiscoveredthishavecalledit"happyheartsyndrome".Th
eresearchers'studywaspublishedintheEuropeanHeartJournalonThu
rsday.HeartexpertsDrChristianTemplinandDrJelenaGhadrianalysed
datafrom1,750patientswhosufferedfromTakotsuboSyndrome.Thes
uffererswerefromninedifferentcountries.Theyfound485patientsgot
TTSbecauseofanemotionalhappening.TwentyofthesehadTTSbecaus
eofahappyorjoyfulevent.Thepatientshadheartproblemsaftereventsl
ikeabirthdayparty,awedding,afavouritesportsteamwinningagame,a
ndthebirthofagrandchild.DrGhadrisaidourbodyandbrainmaythinkha
ppyandsadeventsaresimilar,sobothcanresultinTakotsuboSyndrome
.

FREE WRITING

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

_____________________________________________________________________________

ACADEMIC WRITING

We shouldn't worry about happy heart syndrome. Discuss.

_____________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about broken hearts. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. BROKEN HEARTS: Make a poster about broken hearts. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

4. HAPPY HEART SYNDROME: Write a magazine article about happy heart syndrome. Include imaginary interviews with people who have had it and with people who think they could never get it.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on broken hearts. Ask him/her three questions about broken hearts. Give him/her three of your ideas. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

A Few Additional Activities for Students

Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

Also...

Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

News
Warm ups
Pre-reading / Post-reading
Using headlines
Working with words
While-reading / While-listening
Moving from text to speech
Post-reading / Post-listening
Discussions
Using opinions
Plans
Language
Using lists
Using quotes
Task-based activities
Role plays
Using the central characters in the article
Using themes from the news
Homework

Buy my book

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ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE (p.4)

a

F

b

F

c

T

d

T

e

T

f

F

g

T

h

F

SYNONYM MATCH (p.4)

1.	actual	a.	real
2.	return	b.	give back
3.	name	c.	term
4.	sudden	d.	unexpected
5.	discovered	e.	found
6.	study	f.	report
7.	experts	g.	specialists
8.	analysed	h.	looked over
9.	happening	i.	event
10.	similar	j.	alike

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS (p.8)

1.	Scientists
2.	A broken heart
3.	Broken heart syndrome
4.	Takotsubo Syndrome
5.	Doctors
6.	Thursday
7.	1,750
8.	Nine
9.	20
10.	Similar

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ (p.9)

1.

b

2.

c

3.

d

4.

b

5.

a

6.

a

7.

d

8.

c

9.

d

10.

b

ALL OTHER EXERCISES

Please check for yourself by looking at the Article on page 2.
(It's good for your English ;-)

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Breaking News English Lesson: Happy Heart Syndrome

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Happiness can break your heart too (5th March, 2016)

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