The Reading / Listening - Happiness - Level 4

The UAE government has opened a new cafe to make its employees happy. The 'Happiness Cafe' is in the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development. Staff visit it to unwind and to rejuvenate themselves. The cafe has many sofas and a special decor to give an atmosphere of happiness and positivity. It also has a garden to add a touch of nature. One worker said the cafe helps her to smile more.

The UAE government hopes the cafe will create a positive workplace environment, make workers more productive, and improve their work. The Happiness Cafe is part of a program started by the ruler of Dubai, called the National Program for Happiness and Positivity. The ruler said happiness is, "a renewable and sustainable asset". This program highlights, "the values of positivity and happiness as a way of life". The UAE wants to be in the top five happiest countries.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Happiness - Level 5 or  Happiness - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.thenational.ae/uae/happiness-cafe-opens-for-government-employees-in-abu-dhabi
  • http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/good-vibes-on-the-menu-at-this-happiness-cafe
  • http://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/sheikh-mohammed-hails-uae-progress-on-happiness-programme


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. The UAE government has
  2. make its employees
  3. Staff visit it to
  4. The cafe has many sofas and a
  5. give an atmosphere of happiness
  6. It also has
  7. add a touch
  8. the cafe helps
  1. special decor
  2. a garden
  3. opened a new cafe
  4. her to smile more
  5. unwind
  6. of nature
  7. happy
  8. and positivity

Paragraph 2

  1. create a positive workplace
  2. make workers more
  3. improve
  4. The Happiness Cafe is part
  5. started by the ruler
  6. a renewable and sustainable
  7. happiness as a
  8. the top five
  1. productive
  2. way of life
  3. of a program
  4. happiest countries
  5. asset
  6. environment
  7. of Dubai
  8. their work

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The UAE government has opened a new cafe to (1) ___________________ happy. The 'Happiness Cafe' (2) ___________________ of Culture and Knowledge Development. Staff visit (3) ___________________ and to rejuvenate themselves. The cafe has many (4) ___________________ special (5) ___________________ atmosphere of happiness and positivity. It also has a garden to (6) ___________________ nature. One worker said the cafe helps her to smile more.

The UAE government hopes the cafe (7) ___________________ positive workplace environment, make workers more productive, (8) ___________________ work. The Happiness Cafe is part of a program started (9) ___________________ Dubai, called the National Program for Happiness and Positivity. The ruler said (10) ___________________ renewable and sustainable asset". This program highlights, "(11) ___________________ positivity and happiness (12) ___________________". The UAE wants to be in the top five happiest countries.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheUAEgovernmenthasopenedanewcafetomakeitsemployeeshapp
y.The'HappinessCafe'isintheMinistryofCultureandKnowledgeDevelo
pment.Staffvisitittounwindandtorejuvenatethemselves.Thecafehas
manysofasandaspecialdecortogiveanatmosphereofhappinessandpo
sitivity.Italsohasagardentoaddatouchofnature.Oneworkersaidthec
afehelpshertosmilemore.TheUAEgovernmenthopesthecafewillcreat
eapositiveworkplaceenvironment,makeworkersmoreproductive,an
dimprovetheirwork.TheHappinessCafeispartofaprogramstartedbyt
herulerofDubai,calledtheNationalProgramforHappinessandPositivit
y.Therulersaidhappinessis,"arenewableandsustainableasset".Thisp
rogramhighlights,"thevaluesofpositivityandhappinessasawayoflife"
.TheUAEwantstobeinthetopfivehappiestcountries.

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 this topic 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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