The Reading / Listening - Dirt and Babies - Level 2

It seems sensible for parents to make sure their baby is in a clean place. Most parents do their best to keep dirt and bacteria away from their children. However, a scientist says dirt is important to make babies stronger. Dr Jack Gilbert studies bacteria. He did research into how dirt and bacteria affect children. He published his research in a book called 'Dirt is Good: The Advantage of Germs for Your Child’s Developing Immune System'. He said: "It's fine to wash their hands if there's a…flu virus going around….but if a dog licks their face, that's not a bad thing."

Dr Gilbert said letting children get dirty was beneficial. The dirt helps small kids to build their immune system. Gilbert said children often get allergies because parents try too hard to clean everything that children use. He said parents now sterilize everything in the home too much. This makes children's immune systems very sensitive, which can lead to things like asthma and food allergies. Gilbert defended the "five-second rule". That is when you eat something that fell on the floor for fewer than five seconds. Gilbert says that is OK as long as the floor isn't really dirty.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Dirt and Babies - Level 0 Dirt and Babies - Level 1   or  Dirt and Babies - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.scarymommy.com/jack-gilbert-scientist-dirt-good-for-kids/
  • https://www.immortal.org/34249/dirt-good-kids/
  • http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/07/16/537075018/dirt-is-good-why-kids-need-exposure-to-germs


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. make sure their baby
  2. Most parents do their
  3. keep dirt
  4. dirt is important to make
  5. how dirt and bacteria
  6. He published his research
  7. wash their hands if
  8. if a dog licks
  1. in a book
  2. babies stronger
  3. their face
  4. best
  5. there's a flu virus
  6. is in a clean place
  7. affect children
  8. and bacteria away

Paragraph 2

  1. letting children get dirty
  2. helps small kids to build
  3. children often
  4. parents try
  5. lead to things like asthma and
  6. when you eat something that
  7. for fewer
  8. as long as the floor
  1. than five seconds
  2. get allergies
  3. food allergies
  4. their immune system
  5. isn't really dirty
  6. was beneficial
  7. too hard
  8. fell on the floor

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

It seems sensible for parents to make sure their (1) ___________________ clean place. Most parents do their best to keep dirt and (2) ___________________ their children. However, a scientist says (3) ___________________ to make babies stronger. Dr Jack Gilbert studies bacteria. He did research into how dirt and bacteria (4) ___________________. He published his research in a book called 'Dirt is Good: The Advantage of Germs for Your Child’s Developing Immune System'. He said: "(5) ___________________ wash their hands if there's a…flu virus going around….but if a dog licks their face, (6) ___________________ bad thing."

Dr Gilbert said letting children (7) ___________________ beneficial. The dirt helps small kids to build (8) ___________________. Gilbert said children often (9) ___________________ because parents try too hard to clean everything that children use. He said parents now (10) ___________________ in the home too much. This makes children's immune systems very sensitive, which can lead to things like asthma and food allergies. Gilbert defended the "five-second rule". That (11) ___________________ something that fell on the floor for fewer than five seconds. Gilbert says that is OK as long as the floor (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Itseemssensibleforparentstomakesuretheirbabyisinacleanplace.Mo
stparentsdotheirbesttokeepdirtandbacteriaawayfromtheirchildren.
However,ascientistsaysdirtisimportanttomakebabiesstronger.DrJa
ckGilbertstudiesbacteria.Hedidresearchintohowdirtandbacteriaaffe
ctchildren.Hepublishedhisresearchinabookcalled'DirtisGood:TheAd
vantageofGermsforYourChild’sDevelopingImmuneSystem'.Hesaid:
"It'sfinetowashtheirhandsifthere'sa…fluvirusgoingaround….butifad
oglickstheirface,that'snotabadthing."DrGilbertsaidlettingchildrenge
tdirtywasbeneficial.Thedirthelpssmallkidstobuildtheirimmunesyste
m.Gilbertsaidchildrenoftengetallergiesbecauseparentstrytoohardto
cleaneverythingthatchildrenuse.Hesaidparentsnowsterilizeeverythi
nginthehometoomuch.Thismakeschildren'simmunesystemsveryse
nsitive,whichcanleadtothingslikeasthmaandfoodallergies.Gilbertde
fendedthe"five-secondrule".Thatiswhenyoueatsomethingthatfello
nthefloorforfewerthanfiveseconds.GilbertsaysthatisOKaslongasthef
loorisn'treallydirty.

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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