The Reading / Listening - Level 4

Couples should think more about their marriage just before March and August each year. Sociologists found the number of divorces increased sharply in these two months. Researchers looked at data for divorces filed in the USA between 2001 and 2015. They found that divorce rates peaked after the summer holidays and after the Christmas and New Year holidays. Researchers said this could be because of money problems caused by the holidays.

Researcher Julie Brines suggested that couples felt down when the holidays were over. She said: "People tend to face the holidays with rising expectations." She added: "[Holidays] represent periods in the year when there's the…opportunity for a new beginning, a new start, something different." Couples spend more time together during holidays. This may actually make tensions between them worse rather than bring them closer together.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 5 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.sciencealert.com/researchers-find-there-are-2-months-when-couples-are-most-likely-to-get-divorced
  • http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/312444.php
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3752624/Holidays-BAD-marriage-Divorce-rates-spike-summer-winter-breaks.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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. think more
  2. the number of divorces increased
  3. divorces filed
  4. They found that divorce rates
  5. after the
  6. Researchers said this could
  7. money
  8. caused
  1. in the USA
  2. be
  3. peaked
  4. by the holidays
  5. sharply
  6. problems
  7. about their marriage
  8. summer holidays

Paragraph 2

  1. couples felt
  2. when the holidays
  3. People tend to
  4. rising
  5. the opportunity for a
  6. Couples spend more
  7. make tensions between
  8. bring them closer
  1. face the holidays
  2. time together
  3. new beginning
  4. were over
  5. them worse
  6. down
  7. together
  8. expectations

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Couples (1) ___________________ about their marriage just before March and August each year. Sociologists found the (2) ___________________ increased (3) ___________________ two months. Researchers (4) ___________________ divorces filed in the USA between 2001 and 2015. They found that divorce rates (5) ___________________ summer holidays and after the Christmas and New Year holidays. Researchers said this could be because of money problems (6) ___________________ holidays.

Researcher Julie Brines suggested that couples (7) ___________________ the holidays were over. She said: "People (8) ___________________ the holidays with (9) ___________________." She added: "[Holidays] represent periods in the year when there's the… (10) ___________________ new beginning, a new start, something different." Couples (11) ___________________ together during holidays. This may actually make tensions between them (12) ___________________ bring them closer together.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

CouplesshouldthinkmoreabouttheirmarriagejustbeforeMarchandAu
gusteachyear.Sociologistsfoundthenumberofdivorcesincreasedsha
rplyinthesetwomonths.Researcherslookedatdatafordivorcesfiledint
heUSAbetween2001and2015.Theyfoundthatdivorceratespeakedaft
erthesummerholidaysandaftertheChristmasandNewYearholidays.R
esearcherssaidthiscouldbebecauseofmoneyproblemscausedbytheh
olidays.ResearcherJulieBrinessuggestedthatcouplesfeltdownwhent
heholidayswereover.Shesaid:"Peopletendtofacetheholidayswithrisi
ngexpectations."Sheadded:"[Holidays]representperiodsintheyear
whenthere'sthe…opportunityforanewbeginning,anewstart,somethi
ngdifferent."Couplesspendmoretimetogetherduringholidays.Thism
ayactuallymaketensionsbetweenthemworseratherthanbringthemcl
osertogether.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic 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.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

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

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

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

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

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

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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