Coffee is good for you. That is the conclusion of researchers at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. A team led by Dr. Joe Vinson found coffee is a rich source of antioxidants. Coffee is the biggest provider of these vitamins in the U.S. diet. Antioxidants help fight cancer and reduce cell damage and the effects of aging. Dr. Vinson said both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee provides similar levels of antioxidants. He recommended no more than two cups of coffee a day.

Vinson analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items and beverages. Coffee finished top based on serving size and frequency of consumption. However, Vinson advised people not to think of coffee as a health drink. He stressed that high antioxidant levels in coffee does not mean the vitamins will find their way into our bodies. The dangers of coffee are that it causes stomach pains, increases blood pressure and can lead to heart problems. Vinson said more research is needed to understand its health benefits.

Source: “The Potential Health Benefits of Antioxidants.” Joe A. Vinson, Ph.D.

WARM-UPS

1. BEVERAGES: In pairs / groups, talk about the different beverages you drink every day. Have you always drunk the same things or have you switched drinks? Do you think about the health benefits of drinks?

2. FACTS: Talk with your partner about these coffee facts:

1. The word coffee was originally Arabic and means “excitement.”
2. Coffee is the second most traded product in the world after petroleum.
3. One coffee tree produces just half a kilo of roasted coffee.
4. Brazil is the largest coffee-producing nation -  40 per cent of total world output.
5. Over 53 countries grow coffee worldwide.
6. We use the term “coffee beans” even though they come from berries. Each coffee berry has two beans.
7. 27 per cent of U.S. coffee drinkers and 43 per cent of German drinkers add a sweetener to their coffee.
8. October 1st is the official Coffee Day in Japan.
9. 25 million families around the world work in coffee fields.

3. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words are most interesting and which are most boring.

Coffee / morning / vitamins / diet / aging / cancer / cups / tea / health drinks / stomach pains / blood pressure / heart problems

Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently.

4. COFFEE: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word “coffee”. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

5. TWO-MINUTE COFFEE DEBATES: Students face each other in pairs and engage in the following (for-fun) 2-minute debates. Students A take the first argument, students B the second.

1. Coffee is better than tea. vs Tea is better than coffee.
2. Instant coffee is delicious. vs. Instant coffee is horrible.
3. Coffee is very good for the brain. vs. Coffee is very bad for the heart.
4. Espresso and cappuccino are best. vs. The cups are too small.
5. Starbucks is the greatest coffee shop. vs. You can’t beat the small, locally owned, traditional coffee shops.
6. Coffee is bad for your health. vs. Coffee is good for your health.
7. Coffee is best for waking you up in the morning. vs. Exercise and a cold shower are better.
8. We should buy fair trade coffee and help the poor coffee farmers, not multi-national coffee companies. vs. Fair trade coffee is too expensive

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):
 

a.	A new study concludes that coffee is good for you.	T / F
b.	Coffee provides the biggest source of antioxidants for Americans.	T / F
c.	Antioxidants lead to cancer.	T / F
d.	Decaffeinated coffee has more antioxidants than caffeinated coffee.	T / F
e.	A study compared 100 different types of coffee.	T / F
f.	A researcher said coffee should be thought of as a health drink.	T / F
g.	Antioxidants from coffee are quickly absorbed in our bodies.	T / F
h.	Coffee can increase blood pressure.	T / F

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

a.	good	lessen
b.	found	suggested
c.	fight	regularity
d.	reduce	beneficial
e.	recommended	examined
f.	analyzed	cause
g.	beverages	discovered
h.	frequency	drawbacks
i.	dangers	drinks
j.	lead to	battle

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):

a.	the conclusion of researchers	these vitamins in the U.S. diet
b.	coffee is a rich	understand its health benefits
c.	the biggest provider of	consumption
d.	reduce cell damage and	source of antioxidants
e.	no more than two	to heart problems
f.	advised people not to think	the effects of aging
g.	frequency of	way into our bodies
h.	the vitamins will find their	at the University of Scranton
i.	can lead	cups of coffee a day
j.	more research is needed to	of coffee as a health drink

WHILE READING / LISTENING

WHICH WORD? Strike through the incorrect word in the italicized pairs.

New study says coffee is good for you

Coffee is good for you. That is the concussion / conclusion of researchers at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. A team led / fled by Dr. Joe Vinson found coffee is a rich sour / source of antioxidants. Coffee is the biggest provider of these vitamins in the U.S. diet / dietician. Antioxidants help fight cancer and reduce cell damage and the effects of agreeing / aging. Dr. Vinson said both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee provides simultaneous / similar levels of antioxidants. He recommended no more than two cups of coffee a day.

Vinson analyzed the antioxidant content / contrast of more than 100 different food items and beverages. Coffee finished top / stop based on serving / saving size and frequency of consumption. However, Vinson advised people not to think of coffee as a health drink. He strained / stressed that high antioxidant levels in coffee does not mean the vitamins will find their way into our bodies. The dangers of coffee are that it causes stomach pains / pans, increases blood pressure and can lead / load to heart problems. Vinson said more research is needed to understand its health benefits / outfits.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘fight’ and ‘cancer’.

• 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. WHICH WORD? In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers.

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

5. STUDENT “COFFEE” SURVEY: In pairs / groups, write down questions about coffee and health.

• Ask other classmates your questions and note down their answers.
• Go back to your original partner / group and compare your findings.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

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

conclusion rich fight aging similar recommended

analyzed size health find pains benefits

DISCUSSION

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

1. What did you think when you first read this headline?
2. Did the headline make you want to read the article?
3. What do you think of the conclusions of the research?
4. Do you drink a lot of coffee?
5. Do you think about the health benefits of what you drink?
6. Do you do anything to limit the effects of aging?
7. Do coffee and tea play an important role in your life?
8. Do you ever go to coffee shops? What do you like about them?
9. What do you think of the smell of freshly brewed coffee?

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

1. Did you like reading this article?
2. What do you think about what you read?
3. Do you like Starbucks?
4. Do you think coffee is healthy?
5. What do you do to make sure you get enough vitamins?
6. What are some of the dangers of coffee?
7. Do you ever buy or think about fair trade coffee?
8. Will you drink more coffee after reading the article?
9. Did you like this discussion?

AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.

1. What question would you like to ask about this topic?
2. What was the most interesting thing you heard?
3. Was there a question you didn’t like?
4. Was there something you totally disagreed with?
5. What did you like talking about?
6. Do you want to know how anyone else answered the questions?
7. Which was the most difficult question?

 LISTENING

Listen and fill in the spaces.

New study says coffee is good for you

Coffee is good for you. That is the __________ of researchers at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. A team ____ by Dr. Joe Vinson found coffee is a rich ______ of antioxidants. Coffee is the biggest provider of these vitamins in the U.S. diet. Antioxidants help fight cancer and ______ cell damage and the effects of ______. Dr. Vinson said both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee provides ______ levels of antioxidants. He recommended no more than two cups of coffee __ ____.

Vinson ________ the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items and beverages. Coffee finished top based on ________ size and frequency of consumption. However, Vinson advised people not to ________ of coffee as a health drink. He stressed that high antioxidant levels in coffee does not ________ the vitamins will find their way into our bodies. The dangers of coffee are that it ________ stomach pains, increases blood pressure and can lead to heart ________. Vinson said more research is needed to understand its health ________.

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 more information on coffee. Share your findings with your class in the next lesson.

3. COFFEE AND TEA: Create a poster comparing coffee and tea. Include information on history, health, culture, etc. Show your posters to your classmates in your next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?

4. FAIR TRADE: Create a poster that explains everything about fair trade coffee. Show your posters to your classmates in your next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. T

b. T

c. F

d. F

e. F

f. F

g. F

h. T

SYNONYM MATCH:

a.	good	beneficial
b.	found	discovered
c.	fight	battle
d.	reduce	lessen
e.	recommended	suggested
f.	analyzed	examined
g.	beverages	drinks
h.	frequency	regularity
i.	dangers	drawbacks
j.	lead to	cause

PHRASE MATCH:

a.	the conclusion of researchers	at the University of Scranton
b.	coffee is a rich	source of antioxidants
c.	the biggest provider of	these vitamins in the U.S. diet
d.	reduce cell damage and	the effects of aging
e.	no more than two	cups of coffee a day
f.	advised people not to think	of coffee as a health drink
g.	frequency of	consumption
h.	the vitamins will find their	way into our bodies
i.	can lead	to heart problems
j.	more research is needed to	understand its health benefits

WHICH WORD?

New study says coffee is good for you

Coffee is good for you. That is the concussion / conclusion of researchers at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. A team led / fled by Dr. Joe Vinson found coffee is a rich sour / source of antioxidants. Coffee is the biggest provider of these vitamins in the U.S. diet / dietician. Antioxidants help fight cancer and reduce cell damage and the effects of agreeing / aging. Dr. Vinson said both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee provides simultaneous / similar levels of antioxidants. He recommended no more than two cups of coffee a day.

Vinson analyzed the antioxidant content / contrast of more than 100 different food items and beverages. Coffee finished top / stop based on serving / saving size and frequency of consumption. However, Vinson advised people not to think of coffee as a health drink. He strained / stressed that high antioxidant levels in coffee does not mean the vitamins will find their way into our bodies. The dangers of coffee are that it causes stomach pains / pans, increases blood pressure and can lead / load to heart problems. Vinson said more research is needed to understand its health benefits / outfits.

TOP