The Reading / Listening - Level 5

A 72-year-old woman in India is celebrating the birth of her first child. Daljinder Kaur posed for photos for the Indian press last week. She was proudly holding her healthy baby boy Arman. She had been trying to have a baby for decades. She was under a lot of pressure during that time to start a family. Most people would have accepted their fate and resigned themselves to a life without children, but Daljinder persisted with her dream. She started attending a fertility clinic for IVF treatment in 2013 and successfully became pregnant last year.

Specialists initially had reservations about Daljinder because of her age. Dr Anurag Bishnoi told reporters: "I first tried to avoid the case because she was very weak, but her medical reports were normal and she was fit to conceive." He said his clinic had a good track record with older women. He added: "In Daljinder's case, she looked visibly frail too, so I had to refer her to a cardiologist to get clearance for the procedure and for a battery of other tests." Daljinder is over the moon. She said: "I can live happily now. My life is complete." She is the oldest woman ever to give birth.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 4 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/couple-seventies-show-first-baby-7947292
  • http://www.medicaldaily.com/older-mothers-first-time-mom-vitro-fertilization-385569
  • http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/70-year-old-woman-gives-birth-to-her-first-child-thanks-to-ivf-treatment/1/665301.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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. celebrating the birth
  2. posed
  3. proudly holding her
  4. trying to have a baby
  5. She was under
  6. Most people would have accepted
  7. resigned themselves to a
  8. a fertility clinic for IVF
  1. healthy baby boy
  2. their fate
  3. for photos
  4. life without children
  5. of her first child
  6. treatment
  7. for decades
  8. a lot of pressure

Paragraph 2

  1. Specialists initially had
  2. because
  3. I first tried to
  4. her medical reports were
  5. she was fit
  6. his clinic had a good track
  7. I had to refer her to a
  8. a battery
  1. record
  2. avoid the case
  3. cardiologist
  4. reservations
  5. of other tests
  6. normal
  7. of her age
  8. to conceive

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A 72-year-old woman in India is (1) ___________________ of her first child. Daljinder Kaur (2) ___________________ the Indian press last week. She was proudly (4) ___________________ baby boy Arman. She had been trying to have a baby for decades. She was under (5) ___________________ during that time to start a family. Most people would have accepted their fate and (5) ___________________ to a life without children, but Daljinder persisted with her dream. She started attending a fertility clinic for IVF treatment in 2013 and successfully (6) ___________________ year.

Specialists initially (7) ___________________ Daljinder because of her age. Dr Anurag Bishnoi told reporters: "I first (8) ___________________ the case because she was very weak, but (9) ___________________ were normal and she was fit to conceive." He said his clinic had a (10) ___________________ with older women. He added: "In Daljinder's case, she looked visibly frail too, so I had to refer her to a cardiologist (11) ___________________ for the procedure and for a battery of other tests." Daljinder is over the moon. She said: "I can live happily now. My (12) ___________________." She is the oldest woman ever to give birth.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

A72-year-oldwomaninIndiaiscelebratingthebirthofherfirstchild.Daljin
derKaurposedforphotosfortheIndianpresslastweek.Shewasproudly
holdingherhealthybabyboyArman.Shehadbeentryingtohaveababyf
ordecades.Shewasunderalotofpressureduringthattimetostartafamil
y.Mostpeoplewouldhaveacceptedtheirfateandresignedthemselvest
oalifewithoutchildren,butDaljinderpersistedwithherdream.Shestart
edattendingafertilityclinicforIVFtreatmentin2013andsuccessfullybe
camepregnantlastyear.SpecialistsinitiallyhadreservationsaboutDalj
inderbecauseofherage.DrAnuragBishnoitoldreporters:"Ifirsttriedto
avoidthecasebecauseshewasveryweak,buthermedicalreportsweren
ormalandshewasfittoconceive."Hesaidhisclinichadagoodtrackrecor
dwitholderwomen.Headded:"InDaljinder'scase,shelookedvisiblyfrai
ltoo,soIhadtoreferhertoacardiologisttogetclearancefortheprocedur
eandforabatteryofothertests."Daljinderisoverthemoon.Shesaid:"Ica
nlivehappilynow.Mylifeiscomplete."Sheistheoldestwomanevertogiv
ebirth.

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 childbirth for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You