The Reading / Listening - Catastrophic Sleep - Level 4

Research shows that we are not sleeping enough and that is affecting our health. A sleep expert warned that a "catastrophic sleep-misfortune plague" is making us ill. He said a lack of sleep puts us at risk from deadly diseases. The expert said if we don't sleep eight hours a night, we will die earlier. He added that not sleeping enough affects every single part of our health and every part of our body.

The expert warned that a lack of sleep causes diseases like cancer, heart disease, obesity and diabetes. We do not understand the "catastrophic" consequences of not getting eight hours a night. He explained why we are sleeping less. He said we "electrified the night" and this hurts our sleep. He also blamed longer working hours, a desire to be with friends, mobile phones, alcohol and caffeine. He also blamed anxiety, loneliness and depression.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Catastrophic Sleep - Level 5 or  Catastrophic Sleep - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/24/why-lack-of-sleep-health-worst-enemy-matthew-walker-why-we-sleep
  • http://weekfacts.com/2017/09/lack-catastrophic-sleep-modern-society-kills-us-expert-says/
  • https://www.news-medical.net/news/20170924/Lack-of-sleep-could-be-blamed-for-many-major-diseases-says-sleep-scientist-Matt-Walker.aspx


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. Research shows that we are
  2. a "catastrophic sleep-misfortune
  3. making us
  4. puts us at
  5. deadly
  6. not sleeping
  7. every single
  8. every part
  1. part of our health
  2. not sleeping enough
  3. enough
  4. ill
  5. of our body
  6. risk
  7. diseases
  8. plague

Paragraph 2

  1. a lack of sleep causes diseases
  2. heart
  3. We do not understand the catastrophic
  4. getting eight hours
  5. He also blamed longer
  6. a desire to be
  7. He also blamed
  8. loneliness
  1. with friends
  2. a night
  3. and depression
  4. consequences
  5. anxiety
  6. like cancer
  7. working hours
  8. disease

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Research shows that we are (1) ___________________ and that is affecting our health. A sleep warned (2) ___________________ sleep-misfortune plague" is making us ill. He said a (3) ___________________ puts us at risk from (4) ___________________. The expert said if we don't sleep eight hours a night, we (5) ___________________. He added that not sleeping enough affects every (6) ___________________ our health and every part of our body.

The expert warned that a lack of sleep (7) ___________________ cancer, heart disease, (8) ___________________. We do not understand the "catastrophic" consequences of not getting eight (9) ___________________. He explained why we are sleeping less. He said we "(10) ___________________" and this hurts our sleep. He also blamed longer working hours, (11) ___________________ with friends, mobile phones, alcohol and caffeine. He also (12) ___________________, loneliness and depression.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Researchshowsthatwearenotsleepingenoughandthatisaffectingour
health.Asleepwarnedthata"catastrophicsleep-misfortuneplague"i
smakingusill.Hesaidalackofsleepputsusatriskfromdeadlydiseases.T
heexpertsaidifwedon'tsleepeighthoursanight,wewilldieearlier.He
addedthatnotsleepingenoughaffectseverysinglepartofourhealthand
everypartofourbody.Theexpertwarnedthatalackofsleepcausesdi
seaseslikecancer,heartdisease,obesityanddiabetes.Wedonotunder
standthe"catastrophic"consequencesofnotgettingeighthoursanight.
Heexplainedwhywearesleepingless.Hesaidwe"electrifiedthenight"a
ndthishurtsoursleep.Healsoblamedlongerworkinghours,adesiretob
ewithfriends,mobilephones,alcoholandcaffeine.Healsoblamedanxie
ty,lonelinessanddepression.

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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