The Reading / Listening - Skull Shape - Level 2

Smartphones are changing the shape of our skulls. Some people spend so long looking at smartphones that a small bump is appearing above their neck. It is big enough to feel by pressing the bottom of the skull. A health scientist at a university in Australia spoke to the BBC about the discovery. He said: "I have been a [doctor] for 20 years....In the last decade, increasingly, I have been discovering that my patients have this growth on the skull." The bump is more frequent among 18 to 30-year-olds. They spend many hours a day bent over their smartphones.

A study looked at the smartphone use of 1,200 people aged 18 to 86. The 18 to 30-year-olds were more likely to have the skull bumps. A researcher said the bumps will be more common becausewe bend our necks while looking at our phones. The skull bump could come from always bending the neck at an angle to look at digital devices. Bending our head at the same angle for a long time can strain the neck. Doctors call this strain "text neck". They also say the skull bump rarely causes health issues. They told people to change their posture if their neck becomes sore.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Skull Shape - Level 0 Skull Shape - Level 1   or  Skull Shape - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.livescience.com/65711-humans-growing-bony-skull-spikes.html
  • https://www.insider.com/smartphone-use-could-be-changing-our-skull-shape-scientists-find-2019-6
  • https://www.fudzilla.com/news/mobile/48880-humans-evolving-a-spike-on-the-back-of-the-head


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. changing the shape
  2. people spend so long looking
  3. a small bump is appearing
  4. It is big enough
  5. spoke to the BBC
  6. In the last
  7. more frequent among
  8. spend many hours a day bent
  1. 18 to 30-year-olds
  2. about the discovery
  3. over
  4. decade
  5. at smartphones
  6. of our skulls
  7. to feel
  8. above their neck

Paragraph 2

  1. the smartphone use of 1,200 people
  2. The 18 to 30-year-olds were
  3. the bumps will be more
  4. Bending our head
  5. Doctors call this
  6. the skull bump rarely causes
  7. They told people to change
  8. if their neck
  1. strain "text neck"
  2. their posture
  3. at the same angle
  4. becomes sore
  5. more likely
  6. aged 18 to 86
  7. common
  8. health issues

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Smartphones are changing (1) ___________________ our skulls. Some people spend so long looking at smartphones that a small bump (2) ___________________ their neck. It is big enough to feel by pressing the bottom of the skull. A health scientist at a university in Australia spoke to the BBC (3) ___________________. He said: "I have been a [doctor] for 20 years....In (4) ___________________, increasingly, I have been discovering that my patients have this growth on the skull." The bump is (5) ___________________ 18 to 30-year-olds. They spend many hours a (6) ___________________ their smartphones.

A (7) ___________________ the smartphone use of 1,200 people aged 18 to 86. The 18 to 30-year-olds were (8) _________________ have the skull bumps. A researcher said the bumps will be more common because we (9) ___________________ while looking at their phones. The skull bump could come from always bending the neck (10) ___________________ to look at digital devices. Bending our head at the same angle for a long time can strain the neck. Doctors call this (11) ___________________. They also say the skull bump rarely causes health issues. They told people to change (12) ___________________ their neck becomes sore.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Smartphonesarechangingtheshapeofourskulls.Somepeoplespends
olonglookingatsmartphonesthatasmallbumpisappearingabovetheir
neck.Itisbigenoughtofeelbypressingthebottomoftheskull.Ahealthsci
entistatauniversityinAustraliaspoketotheBBCaboutthediscovery.He
said:"Ihavebeena[doctor]for20years....Inthelastdecade,increasing
ly,Ihavebeendiscoveringthatmypatientshavethisgrowthontheskull.
"Thebumpismorefrequentamong18to30-year-olds.Theyspendman
yhoursadaybentovertheirsmartphones.Astudylookedatthesmartph
oneuseof1,200peopleaged18to86.The18to30-year-oldsweremor
elikelytohavetheskullbumps.Aresearchersaidthebumpswillbemorec
ommonbecausewebendourneckswhilelookingatourphones.Theskull
bumpcouldcomefromalwaysbendingtheneckatanangletolookatdigit
aldevices.Bendingourheadatthesameangleforalongtimecanstrainth
eneck.Doctorscallthisstrain"textneck".Theyalsosaytheskullbumpra
relycauseshealthissues.Theytoldpeopletochangetheirpostureiftheir
neckbecomessore.

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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