The Reading / Listening - Level 4

'Metro' newspaper has said researchers who said women are grumpy for ten days a year are sexist. A vitamin company carried out a survey of the moods of 1,000 women and 1,000 men. It said the average woman is in a bad mood for five hours a week. 'Metro' called the study "incredibly" and "extraordinarily" sexist, and that it strengthened stereotypes of over-emotional women. It said the researchers should spend their time "doing something useful".

The vitamin company, said: "Moods are a barometer of our overall well being…both men and women are susceptible to being in a bad mood." It added that: "Women crave 'me time' and men tend to rely on their partners." The study listed reasons for women's moods. These include "everyday challenges from bad traffic to failing technology". Other "triggers" were feeling fat, money worries, breaking a nail, and fearing their partners never listened.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 5 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://metro.co.uk/2014/09/21/incredibly-sexist-study-finds-women-are-all-really-moody-and-breaking-a-nail-ruins-their-day-4876723/
  • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11112652/Women-spend-10-days-every-year-grumpy-survey-finds.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 Activities

BAD-MOOD TRIGGERS

28 Triggers for a bad mood, according to the study.

Complete the table and talk to your partner(s) about it.

Trigger

Is this you?

How to get over it?

Partner not listening

 

 

Feeling under the weather

 

 

Weather/ bad weather

 

 

Not having enough money

 

 

Technology

 

 

Feeling undervalued

 

 

No one helping with anything

 

 

Having nothing to wear

 

 

Having a bad hair day

 

 

Keeping on top of housework

 

 

A boring life

 

 

Heavy workload

 

 

The traffic

 

 

Colleagues not helping

 

 

Being hungry

 

 

Children not listening

 

 

Public transport being late

 

 

Hating your job

 

 

Waking up with a spot

 

 

Knowing what to cook

 

 

Pressure from your boss

 

 

Rubbish on TV

 

 

Ungrateful children

 

 

Your friends' Facebook

 

 

Colleagues being late for work

 

 

No one making you a drink

 

 

Breaking a nail

 

 

Being overweight

 

 

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

researchers who said

a.

emotional women

2.

carried out

b.

stereotypes

3.

"incredibly" and "extraordinarily"

c.

doing something useful

4.

it strengthened

d.

women are grumpy

5.

over-

e.

sexist

6.

spend their time

f.

a survey



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PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

Moods are a barometer of

a.

challenges

2.

susceptible

b.

'me time'

3.

Women crave

c.

on their partners

4.

men tend to rely

d.

a nail

5.

everyday

e.

our overall well being

6.

breaking

f.

to being in a bad mood

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

'Metro' newspaper has said researchers who said (1) ___________________ ten days a year are sexist. A vitamin company (2) ___________________ of the moods of 1,000 women and 1,000 men. It said (3) ___________________ is in a bad mood for five hours a week. 'Metro' called the study "incredibly" and (4) ___________________, and that it strengthened (5) ___________________-emotional women. It said the researchers should (6) ___________________ "doing something useful".

The vitamin company, said: "Moods are (7) ___________________ overall well being…both men and women (8) ___________________ being in a bad mood." It added that: "Women (9) ___________________ and men tend to rely on their partners." The study listed reasons for women's moods. These include "(10) ___________________ from bad traffic to failing technology". Other "triggers" were feeling fat, (11) ___________________, breaking a nail, and fearing their (12) ___________________.

MOODINESS SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about moodiness 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.

 

 

 

 

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

 

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

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about moodiness for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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