The Reading / Listening - Married People - Level 6

A new study suggests that marital bliss has beneficial health effects. The research is from Carnegie Mellon University in the USA. It concludes that being married reduces your levels of a stress hormone called cortisol. Researchers tested for cortisol in the saliva of 572 adults aged 21-55 on three different, non-consecutive days. Multiple saliva samples were taken throughout each 24-hour period. The researchers found that the married people in the sample had less cortisol than people who were single, separated, divorced or widowed. The researchers said: "Married people tend to be healthier than both the previously and never married, but the mechanisms through which this occurs remain unclear."

The stress hormone cortisol has many different functions in our body. It regulates blood sugar levels, immune responses and inflammation and can increase the risk of heart disease. It also increases the chances of surviving cancer. High levels of cortisol have been linked to mental conditions such as anxiety and depression. Laboratory director Sheldon Cohen said: "These data provide important insights into the way in which our intimate social relationships can get under the skin to influence our health." Researcher Brian Chin added: "It is exciting to discover a physiological pathway that may explain how relationships influence health and disease."

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Married People - Level 4  or  Married People - Level 5

Sources
  • http://www.thehealthsite.com/news/did-you-hear-that-marriage-makes-you-happier-ag0217/
  • http://www.medicaldaily.com/married-people-have-lower-levels-stress-hormones-study-says-411108
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4221046/Marriage-makes-stressed-study-claims.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 :-)

Warm-ups

1. MARRIED PEOPLE: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about married people. Change partners often and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?

       study / marital bliss / health effects / being married / divorced / healthier / unclear /
       stress / hormone / blood sugar / heart disease / cancer / social relationships / disease

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. MARRIAGE: Students A strongly believe marriage makes people less stressed; Students B strongly believe the opposite.  Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

4. HAPPY MARRIAGE: What advice would you give to a married couple to stay happy together? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

Advice

Why?

Money

 

 

Housework

 

 

Hobbies

 

 

Friends

 

 

Time together

 

 

Children

 

 

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

5. HORMONE: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "hormone". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

6. STRESS: Rank these with your partner. Put the things that best reduce stress at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • chatting with friends
  • exercise
  • sleep
  • getting money
  • being married
  • sunny days
  • chocolate
  • music

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. A piece of research says marital bliss is good for the health.     T / F
  2. Being married increases the level of a hormone called cortisol.     T / F
  3. Researchers tested people with a different marital status for 3 weeks.     T / F
  4. Researchers now understand the mechanism behind marriage and cortisol.  T / F
  5. The hormone cortisol also regulates the level of sugar in our blood.     T / F
  6. High levels of cortisol can lead to mental illnesses like anxiety.     T / F
  7. A lab director said we shouldn't let cortisol get under our skin.     T / F
  8. A researcher was excited to see a link between relationships and health.  T / F

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

  1. suggests
  2. reduces
  3. consecutive
  4. tend
  5. unclear
  6. regulates
  7. inflammation
  8. chances
  9. intimate
  10. influence
  1. ambiguous
  2. probability
  3. controls
  4. lowers
  5. close
  6. indicates
  7. effect
  8. are inclined
  9. successive
  10. swelling

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

  1. marital
  2. reduces your levels of a stress
  3. non-
  4. single, separated, divorced
  5. the mechanisms through
  6. It regulates blood
  7. mental conditions
  8. our intimate
  9. get under
  10. how relationships
  1. or widowed
  2. sugar levels
  3. which this occurs
  4. the skin
  5. hormone called cortisol
  6. influence health
  7. bliss
  8. such as anxiety
  9. consecutive days
  10. social relationships

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
concludes
tend
saliva
period
unclear
bliss
widowed
samples

A new study suggests that marital (1) ____________ has beneficial health effects. The research is from Carnegie Mellon University in the USA. It (2) ____________ that being married reduces your levels of a stress hormone called cortisol. Researchers tested for cortisol in the (3) ____________ of 572 adults aged 21-55 on three different, non-consecutive days. Multiple saliva (4) ____________ were taken throughout each 24-hour (5) ____________. The researchers found that the married people in the sample had less cortisol than people who were single, separated, divorced or (6) ____________. The researchers said: "Married people (7) ____________ to be healthier than both the previously and never married, but the mechanisms through which this occurs remain (8) ____________."

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
depression
chances
hormone
physiological
conditions
influence
responses
insights

The stress (9) ____________ cortisol has many different functions in our body. It regulates blood sugar levels, immune (10) ____________ and inflammation and can increase the risk of heart disease. It also increases the (11) ____________ of surviving cancer. High levels of cortisol have been linked to mental (12) ____________ such as anxiety and (13) ____________. Laboratory director Sheldon Cohen said: "These data provide important (14) ____________ into the way in which our intimate social relationships can get under the skin to (15) ____________ our health." Researcher Brian Chin added: "It is exciting to discover a (16) ____________ pathway that may explain how relationships influence health and disease."

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)  A new study suggests that marital bliss has beneficial ______
     a.  health affects
     b.  health effects
     c.  health infects
     d.  health reflects

2)  It concludes that being married reduces your levels of a stress ______
     a.  hormone cold cortisol
     b.  hormones called cortisol
     c.  hormone called cortisol
     d.  hormones cold cortisol

3)  cortisol in the saliva of 572 adults aged 21-55 on three different, ______
     a.  not-consecutive days
     b.  nine-consecutive days
     c.  non-consecutive days
     d.  no-consecutive days

4)  less cortisol than people who were single, separated, ______
     a.  divorced or widower
     b.  divorcee or widowed
     c.  divorcee or widower
     d.  divorced or widowed

5)  but the mechanisms through which this occurs ______
     a.  remains unclear
     b.  remain unclear
     c.  remained unclear
     d.  remaining unclear

6)  The stress hormone cortisol has many different ______ body
     a.  functions on our
     b.  functions in our
     c.  functions at our
     d.  functions to our

7)  It regulates blood sugar levels, immune responses ______
     a.  and inflammation
     b.  and conflagration
     c.  and conformation
     d.  and embarkation

8)  linked to mental conditions such as ______ depression
     a.  anxious and
     b.  anxieties and
     c.  anxiety and
     d.  anxiousness and

9)  the way in which our intimate social relationships can get ______
     a.  under the skin
     b.  into the skin
     c.  over the skin
     d.  through the skin

10)  a physiological pathway that may explain how relationships ______
     a.  influences health
     b.  influence healthy
     c.  confluence health
     d.  influence health

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A new study suggests that (1) ___________________ beneficial health effects. The research is from Carnegie Mellon University in the USA. It concludes that being married reduces your (2) ___________________ hormone called cortisol. Researchers tested for cortisol in the saliva of 572 adults aged 21-55 on three different, (3) ___________________. Multiple saliva samples were taken throughout each 24-hour period. The researchers found that the married people (4) ___________________ had less cortisol than people who were single, separated, divorced or widowed. The researchers said: "Married people (5) ___________________ healthier than both the previously and never married, but the mechanisms through which this occurs (6) ___________________."

The stress hormone cortisol has many different (7) ___________________ body. It (8) ___________________ levels, immune responses and inflammation and can increase the risk of heart disease. It also increases the (9) ___________________ cancer. High levels of cortisol have been linked to mental conditions such as anxiety and depression. Laboratory director Sheldon Cohen said: "These data provide important (10) ___________________ in which our intimate social relationships can get under the skin (11) ___________________ health." Researcher Brian Chin added: "It is exciting to discover a physiological pathway that (12) ___________________ relationships influence health and disease."

Comprehension questions

  1. What does a study say created beneficial health effects?
  2. What does being married do to the level of the body's cortisol?
  3. How many adults did researchers do tests on?
  4. On how many different days did the researchers test the adults?
  5. Which people had the lowest levels of cortisol?
  6. What does cortisol regulate in our body?
  7. What can cortisol increase the chance of surviving?
  8. What mental illnesses have high levels of cortisol been linked to?
  9. Who is Sheldon Cohen?
  10. What was a researcher excited to find?

Multiple choice quiz

1) What does a study say created beneficial health effects?
a) study
b) univeristy
c) research
d) marital bliss

2) What does being married do to the level of the body's cortisol?
a) heats it
b) reduces it
c) mixes it
d) elevates it

3) How many adults did researchers do tests on?
a) 725
b) 257
c) 527
d) 572

4) On how many different days did the researchers test the adults?
a) 5
b) 4
c) 3
d) 2

5) Which people had the lowest levels of cortisol?
a) single people
b) divorced people
c) widowed people
d) married people

6) What does cortisol regulate in our body?
a) our happiness
b) functions
c) blood sugar levels
d) our heart rate

7) What can cortisol increase the chance of surviving?
a) cancer
b) risk
c) life
d) heart attacks

8) What mental illnesses have high levels of cortisol been linked to?
a) insomnia and bulimia
b) schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder
c) anxiety and depression
d) paranoia and kleptomania

9) Who is Sheldon Cohen?
a) a researcher
b) a lab director
c) a cortisol salesman
d) a marriage expert

10) What was a researcher excited to find?
a) physiological pathways
b) a relationship
c) skin
d) a disease

Role play

Role A — Being Married

You think being married is the best way to relieve stress. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is not as good with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): chocolate, sleep or getting money.

Role B — Chocolate

You think chocolate is the best way to relieve stress. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is not as good with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): being married, sleep or getting money.

Role C — Sleep

You think sleep is the best way to relieve stress. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is not as good with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): chocolate, being married or getting money.

Role D — Getting Money

You think getting money is the best way to relieve stress. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is not as good with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): chocolate, sleep or being married.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'stress'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • and 'level'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • • 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. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

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

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

    • blood
    • chances
    • such
    • way
    • skin
    • may
    • bliss
    • called
    • non
    • 24
    • widowed
    • remain

    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 - Marriage makes you less stressed

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

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What springs to mind when you hear the word 'marriage'?
    3. What other health benefits are there to marriage?
    4. What stresses are there in marriage?
    5. Why do people get married?
    6. What are the advantages of being single?
    7. Who are the happiest married people you know?
    8. What advice do you have for unhappily married people?
    9. Is marriage forever?
    10. What do people need to do to stay happily married?

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

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'stress'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. What non-health benefits are there to marriage?
    5. Why don't some couples stay happily married?
    6. How does marriage affect anxiety and depression
    7. How do your social relationships affect your health?
    8. What three adjectives best describe marriage, and why?
    9. What other influences do relationships have on our health?
    10. What questions would you like to ask the researchers?

    Discussion — Write your own questions

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

    (a) ________________

    (b) ________________

    (c) ________________

    (d) ________________

    (e) ________________

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

    (f) ________________

    (g) ________________

    (h) ________________

    (i) ________________

    (j) ________________

    Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

    A new study suggests that (1) ____ bliss has beneficial health effects. The research is from Carnegie Mellon University in the USA. It (2) ____ that being married reduces your levels of a stress hormone called cortisol. Researchers tested (3) ____ cortisol in the saliva of 572 adults aged 21-55 on three different, non-consecutive days. Multiple saliva samples were (4) ____ throughout each 24-hour period. The researchers found that the married people in the sample had less cortisol than people who were single, separated, divorced or (5) ____. The researchers said: "Married people tend to be healthier than both the previously and never married, but the (6) ____ through which this occurs remain unclear."

    The stress hormone cortisol has many different functions in our body. It regulates blood (7) ____ levels, immune responses and inflammation and can increase the risk of heart disease. It also increases the chances of (8) ____ cancer. High levels of cortisol have been linked to mental conditions (9) ____ as anxiety and depression. Laboratory director Sheldon Cohen said: "These data provide important insights into the way in which our (10) ____ social relationships can get under the (11) ____ to influence our health." Researcher Brian Chin added: "It is exciting to discover a physiological (12) ____ that may explain how relationships influence health and disease."

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     martial     (b)     Martian     (c)     marital     (d)     metrical    
    2. (a)     concludes     (b)     concurs     (c)     concedes     (d)     conducive    
    3. (a)     for     (b)     of     (c)     at     (d)     by    
    4. (a)     taken     (b)     amounted     (c)     spat     (d)     licked    
    5. (a)     wider     (b)     widowed     (c)     widower     (d)     windowed    
    6. (a)     masculine     (b)     machinations     (c)     machines     (d)     mechanisms    
    7. (a)     sugary     (b)     sugars     (c)     sugar     (d)     sugared    
    8. (a)     survives     (b)     survive     (c)     survival     (d)     surviving    
    9. (a)     such     (b)     like     (c)     for     (d)     because    
    10. (a)     irritate     (b)     intimate     (c)     intimidate     (d)     irradiate    
    11. (a)     cortisol     (b)     skin     (c)     health     (d)     stress    
    12. (a)     motorway     (b)     ropeway     (c)     pathway     (d)     freeway

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. arlmati bliss has beneficial health effects
    2. levels of a stress mhoeorn called cortisol
    3. non-unesiceocvt days
    4. single, separated, divorced or diweowd
    5. both the oyvsepulir and never married
    6. the csnaihemms through which this occurs

    Paragraph 2

    1. It atreulseg blood sugar levels
    2. meimun responses
    3. mental conditions such as atinxye and depression
    4. provide important tisshing
    5. mtneaiti social relationships
    6. how relationships nnlcueefi health

    Put the text back together

    (    )     into the way in which our intimate social relationships can get under the skin to influence

    (    )     never married, but the mechanisms through which this occurs remain unclear."

    (    )     consecutive days. Multiple saliva samples were taken throughout each 24-hour period. The researchers found that

    1  )     A new study suggests that marital bliss has beneficial health effects. The research is from Carnegie Mellon University in

    (    )     widowed. The researchers said: "Married people tend to be healthier than both the previously and

    (    )     levels, immune responses and inflammation and can increase the risk of heart disease. It also increases the

    (    )     cortisol. Researchers tested for cortisol in the saliva of 572 adults aged 21-55 on three different, non-

    (    )     anxiety and depression. Laboratory director Sheldon Cohen said: "These data provide important insights

    (    )     pathway that may explain how relationships influence health and disease."

    (    )     the USA. It concludes that being married reduces your levels of a stress hormone called

    (    )     The stress hormone cortisol has many different functions in our body. It regulates blood sugar

    (    )     our health." Researcher Brian Chin added: "It is exciting to discover a physiological

    (    )     chances of surviving cancer. High levels of cortisol have been linked to mental conditions such as

    (    )     the married people in the sample had less cortisol than people who were single, separated, divorced or

    Put the words in the right order

    1. A   that  has  effects  suggests  bliss  health  study  marital  beneficial  .
    2. stress   your   hormone   levels   Being   of   married   a   reduces   .
    3. of   Researchers   cortisol   saliva   adults   for   the   572   tested   in   .
    4. Multiple  taken   24  period  were  each  hour  samples  throughout  -   .
    5. mechanisms   The   unclear   remain   occurs   this   which   through   .
    6. stress   The   functions   different   many   has   cortisol   hormone   .
    7. chances   the   increases   also   It   cancer   surviving   of   .
    8. cortisol  linked  conditions  of   been   mental  levels   have  to   High   .
    9. social   the   relationships   skin   can   Our   get   intimate   under   .
    10. exciting   is   It   pathway   physiological   a   discover   to   .

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    A new study suggests that martial / marital bliss has beneficial health effects. The research is from Carnegie Mellon University in the USA. It concludes / conclusion that being married reduces your levels of a stress hormone / hormonal called cortisol. Researchers tested for cortisol in the salvia / saliva of 572 adults aged 21-55 on three different, non-consecutive days. Multiple saliva samples were taking / taken throughout each 24-hour period. The researchers found that the married people in the sample had less / fewer cortisol than people who were single, separation / separated, divorced or widowed. The researchers said: "Married people tend / fend to be healthier than both the previously / previous and never married, but the mechanisms through which this occurs remain nuclear / unclear."

    The stress hormone cortisol has many different functions in / on our body. It regulates blood sugary / sugar levels, immune responses and inflammation and can increase the risky / risk of heart disease. It also increases the chances of surviving / survival cancer. High levels of cortisol have been linking / linked to mental conditions such as anxiety / anxious and depression. Laboratory director Sheldon Cohen said: "These data provide important sites / insights into the way in which our ultimate / intimate social relationships can get under the skin to influence / influential our health." Researcher Brian Chin added: "It is exciting to discover a physiological pathway / ropeway that may explain how relationships influence health and disease."

    Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

    Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

    _ n_w st_dy s_gg_sts th_t m_r_t_l bl_ss h_s b_n_f_c__l h__lth _ff_cts. Th_ r_s__rch _s fr_m C_rn_g__ M_ll_n _n_v_rs_ty _n th_ _S_. _t c_ncl_d_s th_t b__ng m_rr__d r_d_c_s y__r l_v_ls _f _ str_ss h_rm_n_ c_ll_d c_rt_s_l. R_s__rch_rs t_st_d f_r c_rt_s_l _n th_ s_l_v_ _f 572 _d_lts _g_d 21-55 _n thr__ d_ff_r_nt, n_n-c_ns_c_t_v_ d_ys. M_lt_pl_ s_l_v_ s_mpl_s w_r_ t_k_n thr__gh__t __ch 24-h__r p_r__d. Th_ r_s__rch_rs f__nd th_t th_ m_rr__d p__pl_ _n th_ s_mpl_ h_d l_ss c_rt_s_l th_n p__pl_ wh_ w_r_ s_ngl_, s_p_r_t_d, d_v_rc_d _r w_d_w_d. Th_ r_s__rch_rs s__d: "M_rr__d p__pl_ t_nd t_ b_ h__lth__r th_n b_th th_ pr_v___sly _nd n_v_r m_rr__d, b_t th_ m_ch_n_sms thr__gh wh_ch th_s _cc_rs r_m__n _ncl__r."

    Th_ str_ss h_rm_n_ c_rt_s_l h_s m_ny d_ff_r_nt f_nct__ns _n __r b_dy. _t r_g_l_t_s bl__d s_g_r l_v_ls, _mm_n_ r_sp_ns_s _nd _nfl_mm_t__n _nd c_n _ncr__s_ th_ r_sk _f h__rt d_s__s_. _t _ls_ _ncr__s_s th_ ch_nc_s _f s_rv_v_ng c_nc_r. H_gh l_v_ls _f c_rt_s_l h_v_ b__n l_nk_d t_ m_nt_l c_nd_t__ns s_ch _s _nx__ty _nd d_pr_ss__n. L_b_r_t_ry D_r_ct_r Sh_ld_n C_h_n s__d: "Th_s_ d_t_ pr_v_d_ _mp_rt_nt _ns_ghts _nt_ th_ w_y _n wh_ch __r _nt_m_t_ s_c__l r_l_t__nsh_ps c_n g_t _nd_r th_ sk_n t_ _nfl__nc_ __r h__lth." R_s__rch_r Br__n Ch_n _dd_d: "_t _s _xc_t_ng t_ d_sc_v_r _ phys__l_g_c_l p_thw_y th_t m_y _xpl__n h_w r_l_t__nsh_ps _nfl__nc_ h__lth _nd d_s__s_."

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    a new study suggests that marital bliss has beneficial health effects the research is from carnegie mellon university in the usa it concludes that being married reduces your levels of a stress hormone called cortisol researchers tested for cortisol in the saliva of 572 adults aged 21-55 on three different non-consecutive days multiple saliva samples were taken throughout each 24-hour period the researchers found that the married people in the sample had less cortisol than people who were single separated divorced or widowed the researchers said "married people tend to be healthier than both the previously and never married but the mechanisms through which this occurs remain unclear"

    the stress hormone cortisol has many different functions in our body it regulates blood sugar levels immune responses and inflammation and can increase the risk of heart disease it also increases the chances of surviving cancer high levels of cortisol have been linked to mental conditions such as anxiety and depression laboratory director sheldon cohen said "these data provide important insights into the way in which our intimate social relationships can get under the skin to influence our health" researcher brian chin added "it is exciting to discover a physiological pathway that may explain how relationships influence health and disease"

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    Anewstudysuggeststhatmaritalblisshasbeneficialhealtheffects.Ther
    esearchisfromCarnegieMellonUniversityintheUSA.Itconcludesthatb
    eingmarriedreducesyourlevelsofastresshormonecalledcortisol.Rese
    archerstestedforcortisolinthesalivaof572adultsaged21-55onthre
    edifferent,non-consecutivedays.Multiplesalivasamplesweretakenth
    roughouteach24-hourperiod.Theresearchersfoundthatthemarried
    peopleinthesamplehadlesscortisolthanpeoplewhoweresingle,separ
    ated,divorcedorwidowed.Theresearcherssaid:"Marriedpeopletendt
    obehealthierthanboththepreviouslyandnevermarried,butthemecha
    nismsthroughwhichthisoccursremainunclear."Thestresshormoneco
    rtisolhasmanydifferentfunctionsinourbody.Itregulatesbloodsugarle
    vels,immuneresponsesandinflammationandcanincreasetheriskofhe
    artdisease.Italsoincreasesthechancesofsurvivingcancer.Highlevels
    ofcortisolhavebeenlinkedtomentalconditionssuchasanxietyanddepr
    ession.LaboratorydirectorSheldonCohensaid:"Thesedataprovideim
    portantinsightsintothewayinwhichourintimatesocialrelationshipsca
    ngetundertheskintoinfluenceourhealth."ResearcherBrianChinadde
    d:"Itisexcitingtodiscoveraphysiologicalpathwaythatmayexplainhow
    relationshipsinfluencehealthanddisease."

    Free writing

    Write about married people for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

     

    Academic writing

    Marriage is the best thing to make you happy and relieve stress. Discuss.

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

     

    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 out more about marriage an stress. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

    3. CORTISOL: Make a poster about cortisol. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

    4. STRESS: Write a magazine article about marriage relieving stress. Include imaginary interviews with people who believe this and with people who do not believe it.

    Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

    5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

    6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on married people. Ask him/her three questions about married people. Give him/her three of your ideas. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

    A Few Additional Activities for Students

    Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

    Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

    Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

    Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

    Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

    Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

    Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

    Also...

    Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

    • News
    • Warm ups
    • Pre-reading / Post-reading
    • Using headlines
    • Working with words
    • While-reading / While-listening
    • Moving from text to speech
    • Post-reading / Post-listening
    • Discussions
    • Using opinions
    • Plans
    • Language
    • Using lists
    • Using quotes
    • Task-based activities
    • Role plays
    • Using the central characters in the article
    • Using themes from the news
    • Homework

    Buy my book

    $US 9.99

    Answers

    (Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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