The Reading / Listening - Level 2

Scientists say it isn't just sad things that make us brokenhearted. Happy events can also be bad for our heart. A broken heart is a real illness. It's not just the sadness we feel when something bad happens. We get broken heart syndrome when we are stressed and during emotional times, such as a relationship breakup, the death of family and friends, or the loss of a job. The medical name for this is Takotsubo Syndrome (TTS). People can get it, and be at risk of death, when very happy things happen. The doctors who discovered this have called it "happy heart syndrome".

The study is published in the European Heart Journal. Heart expert Dr Jelena Ghadri analysed data from 1,750 patients who suffered from TTS. The patients were from nine different countries. They found that 485 patients got TTS because of an emotional event. Twenty of these had TTS because of a happy event. The patients had heart problems after birthday parties, weddings, favourite sports teams winning, and the birth of grandchildren. Dr Ghadri said our brain may think happy and sad events are similar, so both can result in Takotsubo Syndrome.

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Sources
  • http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-03-happiness-heart.html
  • http://www.healthaim.com/happy-heart-syndrome-scientists-find-happiness-can-break-heart-kill-people/43668#ixzz41q69o85e
  • http://www.livescience.com/53919-broken-heart-syndrome-linked-to-positive-emotions.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

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

A broken heart

a.

Takotsubo Syndrome

2.

the sadness we feel when something

b.

breakup

3.

during emotional

c.

discovered this

4.

a relationship

d.

bad happens

5.

The medical name for this is

e.

"happy heart syndrome"

6.

be at risk

f.

times

7.

The doctors who

g.

is a real illness

8.

called it

h.

of death


MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

The study is published in the

a.

1,750 patients

2.

analysed data from

b.

are similar

3.

suffered from

c.

an emotional event

4.

patients got TTS because of

d.

teams winning

5.

favourite sports

e.

in Takotsubo Syndrome

6.

the birth of

f.

European Heart Journal

7.

happy and sad events

g.

TTS

8.

both can result

h.

grandchildren

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

 

Scientists (1) ___________________ sad things that make us brokenhearted. Happy events can (2) ___________________ our heart. A broken heart is a real illness. It's not just the sadness we feel when (3) ___________________. We get broken heart syndrome when we are stressed and during emotional times, such as a (4) ___________________, the death of family and friends, or the loss of a job. The medical name for this is Takotsubo Syndrome (TTS). People can get it, and (5) ___________________, when very happy things happen. The doctors who discovered this have called it "(6) ___________________".

The study (7) ___________________ the European Heart Journal. Heart expert Dr Jelena Ghadri analysed data from 1,750 patients who suffered from TTS. The (8) ___________________ nine different countries. They found that (9) ___________________ TTS because of an emotional event. Twenty of these had TTS because of a happy event. The patients (10) ___________________ after birthday parties, weddings, favourite sports teams winning, and the (11) ___________________. Dr Ghadri said our brain may think happy and sad events are similar, (12) ___________________ in Takotsubo Syndrome.

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

Scientistssayitisn'tjustsadthingsthatmakeusbrokenhearted.Happy
eventscanalsobebadforourheart.Abrokenheartisarealillness.It'snotj
ustthesadnesswefeelwhensomethingbadhappens.Wegetbrokenhea
rtsyndromewhenwearestressedandduringemotionaltimes,suchasar
elationshipbreakup,thedeathoffamilyandfriends,orthelossofajob.Th
emedicalnameforthisisTakotsuboSyndrome(TTS).Peoplecangetit,a
ndbeatriskofdeath,whenveryhappythingshappen.Thedoctorswhodi
scoveredthishavecalledit"happyheartsyndrome".Thestudyispublish
edintheEuropeanHeartJournal.HeartexpertDrJelenaGhadrianalysed
datafrom1,750patientswhosufferedfromTTS.Thepatientswerefrom
ninedifferentcountries.Theyfoundthat485patientsgotTTSbecauseof
anemotionalevent.TwentyofthesehadTTSbecauseofahappyevent.T
hepatientshadheartproblemsafterbirthdayparties,weddings,favouri
tesportsteamswinning,andthebirthofgrandchildren.DrGhadrisaidou
rbrainmaythinkhappyandsadeventsaresimilar,sobothcanresultinTa
kotsuboSyndrome.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

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

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

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c)

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d)

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e)

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f)

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g)

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h)

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

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

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d)

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e)

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f)

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g)

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h)

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WRITING

Write about broken hearts 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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