The Reading / Listening - House Dust - Level 1

House dust could make us fat. Scientists say people should keep their house clean to not get fat. The scientists did research on mice. They collected dust from 11 houses. Dust from nine of the houses made the mice fatter. The dust changed the hormones in the mice and made more fat in their bodies. We breathe in and swallow small amounts of dust. A researcher said small amounts of dust made the mice fatter.

Dust contains chemicals called EDCs. They are in sofas and carpets. They are also in cosmetics, food packaging, and household cleaners. EDCs are in most houses. Researchers say they can affect our health. Children are at most risk. EDCs can lead to learning problems. EDCs can increase the risk of cancer and infertility. The researchers say we need to look at all the things we make so that they do not make us unhealthy.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    House Dust - Level 0 House Dust - Level 2   or  House Dust - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/12/household-dust-makes-people-fat-groundbreaking-research-indicates/
  • http://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-highlights/obesity-may-arise-in-part-from-household-dust/81254642
  • http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318379.php


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. people should keep
  2. The scientists did research
  3. They collected dust
  4. Dust from nine of
  5. The dust changed the
  6. breathe
  7. small amounts
  8. made the mice
  1. hormones in the mice
  2. of dust
  3. on mice
  4. from 11 houses
  5. fatter
  6. the houses
  7. in
  8. their house clean

Paragraph 2

  1. Dust contains chemicals
  2. They are in sofas
  3. food
  4. EDCs are
  5. they can affect
  6. Children are at
  7. learning
  8. increase the risk of cancer and
  1. in most houses
  2. packaging
  3. problems
  4. most risk
  5. called EDCs
  6. infertility
  7. and carpets
  8. our health

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

House dust could (1) ___________________. Scientists say people should keep their house clean (2) ___________________. The scientists did (3) ___________________ mice. They collected dust from 11 houses. Dust from nine of the houses made the mice fatter. The (4) ___________________ hormones in the mice and made (5) ___________________ bodies. We breathe in and swallow small amounts of dust. A researcher said small (6) ___________________ made the mice fatter.

Dust (7) ___________________ called EDCs. They are in sofas and carpets. They (8) ___________________ cosmetics, food packaging, and household cleaners. EDCs (9) ___________________ houses. Researchers say they can affect our health. Children (10) ___________________. EDCs can lead to learning problems. EDCs can increase (11) ___________________ cancer and infertility. The researchers say we need (12) ___________________ the things we make so that they do not make us unhealthy.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Housedustcouldmakeusfat.Scientistssaypeopleshouldkeeptheirhou
secleantonotgetfat.Thescientistsdidresearchonmice.Theycollected
dustfrom11houses.Dustfromnineofthehousesmadethemicefatter.T
hedustchangedthehormonesinthemiceandmademorefatintheirbodi
es.Webreatheinandswallowsmallamountsofdust.Aresearchersaids
mallamountsofdustmadethemicefatter.Dustcontainschemicalscalle
dEDCs.Theyareinsofasandcarpets.Theyarealsoincosmetics,foodpac
kaging,andhouseholdcleaners.EDCsareinmosthouses.Researcherss
aytheycanaffectourhealth.Childrenareatmostrisk.EDCscanleadtole
arningproblems.EDCscanincreasetheriskofcancerandinfertility.Ther
esearcherssayweneedtolookatallthethingswemakesothattheydonot
makeusunhealthy.

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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