The Reading / Listening - Blood Pressure - Level 3

Millions more people around the world have high blood pressure. This news came earlier this week when the American Heart Association (AHA) changed the numbers at which high blood pressure starts. For many decades, doctors said high blood pressure started at a reading of 140 over 90. The AHA has changed this and said the disease should be treated sooner. It said high blood pressure now starts at a reading of 130 over 80. Blood pressure happens when your heart pushes blood around your body too fast. If this pushing is too strong, it can put stress on your heart and arteries. This can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Normal blood pressure is less than 120 over 80.

AHA doctors said health problems can happen at the lower figures of 130 over 80. However, they said it is possible for people to deal with this level of blood pressure without taking medicine. They said the new reading is, "a yellow light that you need to be lowering your blood pressure, mainly with non-drug approaches". People with high blood pressure need to make healthy lifestyle changes. These include losing weight, exercising more, eating healthier food, avoiding alcohol and salt, quitting smoking and avoiding stress. The new reading of 130 over 80 now means that nearly half (46 per cent) of the adult population of the USA has high blood pressure. This rose from 32 per cent using the old numbers.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Blood Pressure - Level 0,  Blood Pressure - Level 1   or  Blood Pressure - Level 2

Sources
  • https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-11-adults-high-blood-pressure-guidelines.html
  • https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-13/thirty-million-americans-just-got-high-blood-pressure
  • https://www.newsday.com/news/health/new-high-blood-pressure-systolic-guidelines-1.14967340


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. BLOOD PRESSURE: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about blood pressure. 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?

       millions / high blood pressure / numbers / disease / body / stress / heart attacks /
       health problems / figures / medicine / drug / lifestyle / losing weight / alcohol / adult

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

3. LIFESTYLE: Students A strongly believe everyone should live a lifestyle that keeps their blood pressure down; Students B strongly believe should live their lives however they want to.  Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

4. LIFESTYLE CHANGES: How easy is it to make these lifestyle changes? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

How easy is it to change these?

Can you change these?

Losing weight

 

 

Exercising more

 

 

Eating healthier food

 

 

Not smoking or drinking

 

 

Avoiding salt

 

 

Avoiding stress

 

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

6. HEALTH: Rank these with your partner. Put the best ways to stay healthy at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • lots of laughter
  • lots of fruit
  • no bad habits
  • keeping the brain active
  • losing weight
  • much less salt
  • vegetarian diet
  • 8 hours sleep

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. blood a. A big health problem that needs medicine or treatment.
      2. pressure b. Periods of ten years.
      3. decades c. The non-stop force on or against something.
      4. reading d. The big tubes inside your body that carry blood.
      5. disease e. The red liquid that goes around our bodies.
      6. treated f. A figure or number shown by a measuring machine.
      7. arteries g. Gave medical care to make someone better.

    Paragraph 2

      8. strokes h. More than anything else; for the most part.
      9. deal with i. Keeping away from or stopping oneself from doing something.
      10. medicine j. Ways of doing something.
      11. mainly k. Do something to make a problem smaller or make it go away.
      12. approaches l. All of the people who live in a village, town, city, country… the world.
      13. avoiding m. A sudden attack because of a lack of blood to the brain that can cause you to die or to lose control of your arms' legs, speech, etc.
      14. population n. Something you eat, drink or put in your body to make pain go away or to make a health problem better.

 

Before reading / listening

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

  1. The article says a million more people have high blood pressure.     T / F
  2. The American Heart Association said high blood pressure is 140/90.     T / F
  3. High blood pressure is because blood travels around your body too fast.  T / F
  4. High blood pressure leads to heart attacks but not strokes.     T / F
  5. Health problems can start at a blood pressure of 130/80.     T / F
  6. A heart association said a 130/80 reading was like a red warning light.    T / F
  7. People with high blood pressure need to eat less salt.     T / F
  8. Nearly half of adults in the USA now have high blood pressure.     T / F

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

  1. world
  2. reading
  3. treated
  4. happens
  5. lead to
  6. figures
  7. mainly
  8. avoiding
  9. nearly
  10. rose
  1. for the most part
  2. result in
  3. numbers
  4. almost
  5. figure
  6. keeping away from
  7. occurs
  8. globe
  9. increased
  10. cared for

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

  1. the numbers at which high blood pressure
  2. the disease should be
  3. it can put stress
  4. This can lead
  5. Normal blood pressure is less
  6. it is possible for people to deal
  7. without taking
  8. make healthy lifestyle
  9. avoiding alcohol
  10. This rose from 32 per cent using
  1. and salt
  2. on your heart
  3. changes
  4. than 120 over 80
  5. the old numbers
  6. treated sooner
  7. with this level
  8. starts
  9. medicine
  10. to heart attacks

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
treated
pushes
numbers
attacks
earlier
strong
reading
decades

Millions more people around the world have high blood pressure. This news came (1) ____________ this week when the American Heart Association (AHA) changed the (2) ____________ at which high blood pressure starts. For many (3) ____________, doctors said high blood pressure started at a reading of 140 over 90. The AHA has changed this and said the disease should be (4) ____________ sooner. It said high blood pressure now starts at a (5) ____________ of 130 over 80. Blood pressure happens when your heart (6) ____________ blood around your body too fast. If this pushing is too (7) ____________, it can put stress on your heart and arteries. This can lead to heart (8) ____________ and strokes. Normal blood pressure is less than 120 over 80.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
yellow
avoiding
medicine
rose
approaches
adult
lower
weight

AHA doctors said health problems can happen at the (9) ____________ figures of 130 over 80. However, they said it is possible for people to deal with this level of blood pressure without taking (10) ____________. They said the new reading is, "a (11) ____________ light that you need to be lowering your blood pressure, mainly with non-drug (12) ____________ ". People with high blood pressure need to make healthy lifestyle changes. These include losing (13) ____________, exercising more, eating healthier food, (14) ____________ alcohol and salt, quitting smoking and avoiding stress. The new reading of 130 over 80 now means that nearly half (46 per cent) of the (15) ____________ population of the USA has high blood pressure. This (16) ____________ from 32 per cent using the old numbers.

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)  changed the numbers at which high blood ______
     a.  pressured start
     b.  pressures starts
     c.  pressure starts
     d.  pressure start

2)  The AHA has changed this and said the disease should ______
     a.  be treat it sooner
     b.  be treated sooner
     c.  being treated sooner
     d.  been treated sooner

3)  Blood pressure happens when your heart pushes blood around your ______
     a.  body too fast
     b.  bodily too fast
     c.  body to fast
     d.  bodily two fast

4)  If this pushing is too strong, it can put stress on your ______
     a.  hearts and archeries
     b.  heart and archeries
     c.  heart and arteries
     d.  heartened archeries

5)  Normal blood pressure is less than ______
     a.  130 over 80
     b.  120 over 90
     c.  130 over 90
     d.  120 over 80

6)  AHA doctors said health problems can happen at ______
     a.  a lower figure
     b.  the lower figures
     c.  the lowered figures
     d.  the lower figure

7)  possible for people to deal with this level of blood pressure without ______
     a.  taking medicine
     b.  taken medicine
     c.  take in medicine
     d.  taking in medicine

8)  you need to be lowering your blood pressure, mainly with ______
     a.  not-drug approaches
     b.  known-drug approaches
     c.  knowing-drug approaches
     d.  non-drug approaches

9) include losing weight, exercising more, eating healthier food, avoiding ______
     a.  alcoholic and salt
     b.  alcohol and salt
     c.  alcohol and salty
     d.  alcoholic and salty

10)  This rose from 32 per cent using the ______
     a.  yelled numbers
     b.  bold numbers
     c.  old numbers
     d.  auld numbers

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Millions more people around the world (1) ___________________ pressure. This news came earlier this week when the American Heart Association (AHA) (2) ___________________ at which high blood pressure starts. For (3) ___________________ said high blood pressure started at a reading of 140 over 90. The AHA has changed this and said the disease (4) ___________________ sooner. It said high blood pressure now starts at a reading of 130 over 80. Blood pressure happens when (5) ___________________ blood around your body too fast. If this pushing is too strong, it can put stress on your (6) ___________________. This can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Normal blood pressure is less than 120 over 80.

AHA doctors said health problems can happen at (7) ___________________ of 130 over 80. However, they said it is possible for people to deal with this level of blood pressure (8) ___________________. They said the new reading is, "a yellow light that you need to be lowering your blood pressure, mainly with (9) ___________________". People with high blood pressure need to make (10) ___________________. These include losing weight, exercising more, eating healthier food, avoiding alcohol and salt, quitting smoking (11) ___________________. The new reading of 130 over 80 now means that nearly half (46 per cent) of the adult population of the USA has high blood pressure. This rose from 32 per cent using (12) ___________________.

Comprehension questions

  1. What does AHA mean?
  2. What was the old number for high blood pressure?
  3. What does your heart push around your body?
  4. What can high blood pressure put stress on apart from arteries?
  5. What can high blood pressure lead to apart from strokes?
  6. At what figures did AHA doctors say health problems could begin?
  7. What is it possible for people with readings of 130/80 to not take?
  8. What colour light did the AHA say was a blood-pressure warning?
  9. What did the article say people with high blood pressure needed to quit?
  10. What percent of US adults had high blood pressure with the old number?

Multiple choice quiz

1) What does AHA mean?
a) All Heart Ailments
b) Anti-Heart Attack
c) American Heart Association
d) Attack Heart Arteries

2) What was the old number for high blood pressure?
a) 140/90
b) 130/80
c) 140/80
d) 130/90

3) What does your heart push around your body?
a) pressure
b) blood
c) stress
d) arteries

4) What can high blood pressure put stress on apart from arteries?
a) stress
b) blood
c) strokes
d) our heart

5) What can high blood pressure lead to apart from strokes?
a) stress attacks
b) artery attacks
c) heart attacks
d) blood attacks

6) At what figures did AHA doctors say health problems could begin?
a) 140/80
b) 130/80
c) 140/90
d) 130/90

7) What is it possible for people with readings of 130/80 to not take?
a) notes
b) readings
c) time
d) medicine

8) What colour light did the AHA say was a blood-pressure warning?
a) blue
b) yellow
c) red
d) white

9) What did the article say people with high blood pressure needed to quit?
a) weight
b) smoking
c) pressure
d) lifestyle changes

10) What per cent of US adults had high blood pressure with the old number?
a) 32%
b) 46%
c) 38%
d) 42%

Role play

Role  A – Losing Weight

You think losing weight is the best way to stay healthy. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): a vegetarian diet, eight hours sleep or an active brain.

Role  B – Vegetarian Diet

You think a vegetarian diet is the best way to stay healthy. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): losing weight, eight hours sleep or an active brain.

Role  C – Eight Hours Sleep

You think eight hours sleep is the best way to stay healthy. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): a vegetarian diet, losing weight or an active brain.

Role  D – An Active Brain

You think an active brain is the best way to stay healthy. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why):  a vegetarian diet, eight hours sleep or losing weight.

After reading / listening

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

'blood'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • and 'pressure'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • • 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:

    • happen
    • medicine
    • yellow
    • healthy
    • salt
    • old
    • millions
    • earlier
    • decades
    • sooner
    • body
    • strokes

    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 - Millions more have high blood pressure

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

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'blood'?
    3. What do you know about high blood pressure?
    4. Do you ever worry about your blood pressure?
    5. Why can't doctors cure high blood pressure?
    6. What do you do to look after your heart?
    7. Why is high blood pressure called 'the silent killer'?
    8. What do we do that puts pressure on our heart?
    9. How healthy are you?
    10. What would it be like to be a doctor?

    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 'pressure'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. Why is high blood pressure dangerous?
    5. What causes high blood pressure?
    6. What do you think of taking medicine?
    7. What do you need to change to be healthier?
    8. How stressful is your life?
    9. What can we do to reduce stress?
    10. What questions would you like to ask the doctors?

    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)

    Millions more people around (1) ____ world have high blood pressure. This news came earlier this week (2) ____ the American Heart Association (AHA) changed the numbers (3) ____ which high blood pressure starts. For many decades, doctors said high blood pressure started at a reading of 140 over 90. The AHA has changed this and said the disease should be (4) ____ sooner. It said high blood pressure now starts at a reading of 130 over 80. Blood pressure happens when your heart pushes blood around your body too fast. If this pushing is too strong, it can put stress (5) ____ your heart and arteries. This can (6) ____ to heart attacks and strokes. Normal blood pressure is less than 120 over 80.

    AHA doctors said health problems can happen (7) ____ the lower figures of 130 over 80. However, they said it is possible for people to (8) ____ with this level of blood pressure without taking medicine. They said the new reading is, "a yellow light that you need to be (9) ____ your blood pressure, mainly with non-drug approaches". People with high blood pressure need to make healthy lifestyle changes. These include losing weight, (10) ____ more, eating healthier food, avoiding alcohol and salt, (11) ____ smoking and avoiding stress. The new reading of 130 over 80 now means that nearly half (46 per cent) of the adult population of the USA has high blood pressure. This (12) ____ from 32 per cent using the old numbers.

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     the     (b)     a     (c)     that     (d)     all    
    2. (a)     which     (b)     where     (c)     when     (d)     what    
    3. (a)     on     (b)     as     (c)     at     (d)     by    
    4. (a)     treaties     (b)     treat     (c)     treats     (d)     treated    
    5. (a)     on     (b)     in     (c)     by     (d)     at     
    6. (a)     read     (b)     lead     (c)     road     (d)     load    
    7. (a)     as     (b)     on     (c)     in     (d)     at    
    8. (a)     veal     (b)     deal     (c)     heal     (d)     peal    
    9. (a)     lowers     (b)     lower     (c)     lowering     (d)     lowered    
    10. (a)     exercised     (b)     exercising     (c)     exercise     (d)     exorcism    
    11. (a)     quietening     (b)     quieting     (c)     quilting     (d)     quitting    
    12. (a)     flower     (b)     rose     (c)     weed     (d)     plant

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. nimsolil more people
    2. for many cdedesa
    3. the iseaeds should be treated sooner
    4. it can put erssts on your heart
    5. This can lead to heart tacatks
    6. narolm blood pressure

     

    Paragraph 2

    1. problems can happen at the lower ifsegur
    2. without taking idinceem
    3. make healthy esefyitll changes
    4. dvaniigo alcohol and salt
    5. anyerl half
    6. 46 per cent of the adult oaiptopuln

    Put the text back together

    (    )     attacks and strokes. Normal blood pressure is less than 120 over 80.

    (    )     stress. The new reading of 130 over 80 now means that nearly half (46 per cent) of the adult population

    (    )     changed this and said the disease should be treated sooner. It said high blood pressure now starts at a reading

    (    )     of 130 over 80. Blood pressure happens when your heart pushes blood around your body too

    (    )     weight, exercising more, eating healthier food, avoiding alcohol and salt, quitting smoking and avoiding

    (    )     reading is, "a yellow light that you need to be lowering your blood pressure, mainly with non-

    (    )     AHA doctors said health problems can happen at the lower figures of 130 over 80. However, they said it is

    (    )     possible for people to deal with this level of blood pressure without taking medicine. They said the new

    (    )     decades, doctors said high blood pressure started at a reading of 140 over 90. The AHA has

    (    )     of the USA has high blood pressure. This rose from 32 per cent using the old numbers.

    (    )     drug approaches". People with high blood pressure need to make healthy lifestyle changes. These include losing

    (    )     fast. If this pushing is too strong, it can put stress on your heart and arteries. This can lead to heart

    (    )     week when the American Heart Association (AHA) changed the numbers at which high blood pressure starts. For many

    (  1  )     Millions more people around the world have high blood pressure. This news came earlier this

    Put the words in the right order

    1. around   blood   the   pressure   world   More   have   people   high   .
    2. which   at   numbers   The   starts   pressure   blood   high   .
    3. pressure   at   of   blood   starts   reading   High   now   a   130   .
    4. around   too   your   blood   body   When   pushes   your   fast   heart   .
    5. less   Normal   than   blood   120   pressure   over   is   80   .
    6. Doctors  problems  at   figures  health   happen  lower  said   can  the  .
    7. people   for   possible  is   it   said   They   level   this   with   deal  to   .
    8. blood   non-drug   pressure   approaches   with   Lowering   your   .
    9. the   blood   adult   pressure   population   Half   has   of   high   .
    10. This   32   using   numbers   from   cent   old   rose   per   the   .

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    Millions more people around / abound the world have high blood pressure. This news came earlier this weekly / week when the American Heart Association (AHA) changed the numbers at which / what high blood pressure starts. For many decades / decadence, doctors said high blood pressure started at a reading of / for 140 over 90. The AHA has changed this and said the disease should be treated soonish / sooner. It said high blood pressure now starts of / at a reading of 130 over 80. Blood pressure happens when your heart pushing / pushes blood around your body too fast. If this pushing is too strong, it can put stress on your heart and arteries / arches. This can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Normal / Normally blood pressure is less than 120 over 80.

    AHA doctors said health problems can happening / happen at the lower figures of 130 over 80. However, they said it is possible / possibility for people to deal / dealt with this level of blood pressure without taking medicine. They said the new reading is, "a yellow light / lights that you need to be lowering your blood pressure, main / mainly with non-drug approaches". People with high blood pressure need to make healthy lifestyle changes. These include / inclusive losing weight, exercising more, eating healthier food, avoiding alcoholic / alcohol and salt, quitting smoking and avoiding stress. The new reading of 130 over 80 now means / meaning that nearly half (46 per cent) of the adultery / adult population of the USA has high blood pressure. This rose / arose from 32 per cent using the old numbers.

    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)

    M_ll__ns m_r_ p__pl_ _r__nd th_ w_rld h_v_ h_gh bl__d pr_ss_r_. Th_s n_ws c_m_ __rl__r th_s w__k wh_n th_ _m_r_c_n H__rt _ss_c__t__n (_H_) ch_ng_d th_ n_mb_rs _t wh_ch h_gh bl__d pr_ss_r_ st_rts. F_r m_ny d_c_d_s, d_ct_rs s__d h_gh bl__d pr_ss_r_ st_rt_d _t _ r__d_ng _f 140 _v_r 90. Th_ _H_ h_s ch_ng_d th_s _nd s__d th_ d_s__s_ sh__ld b_ tr__t_d s__n_r. _t s__d h_gh bl__d pr_ss_r_ n_w st_rts _t _ r__d_ng _f 130 _v_r 80. Bl__d pr_ss_r_ h_pp_ns wh_n y__r h__rt p_sh_s bl__d _r__nd y__r b_dy t__ f_st. _f th_s p_sh_ng _s t__ str_ng, _t c_n p_t str_ss _n y__r h__rt _nd _rt_r__s. Th_s c_n l__d t_ h__rt _tt_cks _nd str_k_s. N_rm_l bl__d pr_ss_r_ _s l_ss th_n 120 _v_r 80.

    _H_ d_ct_rs s__d h__lth pr_bl_ms c_n h_pp_n _t th_ l_w_r f_g_r_s _f 130 _v_r 80. H_w_v_r, th_y s__d _t _s p_ss_bl_ f_r p__pl_ t_ d__l w_th th_s l_v_l _f bl__d pr_ss_r_ w_th__t t_k_ng m_d_c_n_. Th_y s__d th_ n_w r__d_ng _s, "_ y_ll_w l_ght th_t y__ n__d t_ b_ l_w_r_ng y__r bl__d pr_ss_r_, m__nly w_th n_n-dr_g _ppr__ch_s". P__pl_ w_th h_gh bl__d pr_ss_r_ n__d t_ m_k_ h__lthy l_f_styl_ ch_ng_s. Th_s_ _ncl_d_ l_s_ng w__ght, _x_rc_s_ng m_r_, __t_ng h__lth__r f__d, _v__d_ng _lc_h_l _nd s_lt, q__tt_ng sm_k_ng _nd _v__d_ng str_ss. Th_ n_w r__d_ng _f 130 _v_r 80 n_w m__ns th_t n__rly h_lf (46 p_r c_nt) _f th_ _d_lt p_p_l_t__n _f th_ _S_ h_s h_gh bl__d pr_ss_r_. Th_s r_s_ fr_m 32 p_r c_nt _s_ng th_ _ld n_mb_rs.

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    millions more people around the world have high blood pressure this news came earlier this week when the american heart association (aha) changed the numbers at which high blood pressure starts for many decades doctors said high blood pressure started at a reading of 140 over 90 the aha has changed this and said the disease should be treated sooner it said high blood pressure now starts at a reading of 130 over 80 blood pressure happens when your heart pushes blood around your body too fast if this pushing is too strong it can put stress on your heart and arteries this can lead to heart attacks and strokes normal blood pressure is less than 120 over 80

    aha doctors said health problems can happen at the lower figures of 130 over 80 however they said it is possible for people to deal with this level of blood pressure without taking medicine they said the new reading is "a yellow light that you need to be lowering your blood pressure mainly with non-drug approaches" people with high blood pressure need to make healthy lifestyle changes these include losing weight exercising more eating healthier food avoiding alcohol and salt quitting smoking and avoiding stress the new reading of 130 over 80 now means that nearly half (46 per cent) of the adult population of the usa has high blood pressure this rose from 32 per cent using the old numbers

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    Millionsmorepeoplearoundtheworldhavehighbloodpressure.Thisne
    wscameearlierthisweekwhentheAmericanHeartAssociation(AHA)ch
    angedthenumbersatwhichhighbloodpressurestarts.Formanydecade
    s,doctorssaidhighbloodpressurestartedatareadingof140over90.The
    AHAhaschangedthisandsaidthediseaseshouldbetreatedsooner.Itsai
    dhighbloodpressurenowstartsatareadingof130over80.Bloodpressur
    ehappenswhenyourheartpushesbloodaroundyourbodytoofast.Ifthis
    pushingistoostrong,itcanputstressonyourheartandarteries.Thiscanl
    eadtoheartattacksandstrokes.Normalbloodpressureislessthan120o
    ver80.AHAdoctorssaidhealthproblemscanhappenatthelowerfigures
    of130over80.However,theysaiditispossibleforpeopletodealwiththisl
    evelofbloodpressurewithouttakingmedicine.Theysaidthenewreadin
    gis,"ayellowlightthatyouneedtobeloweringyourbloodpressure,main
    lywithnon-drugapproaches".Peoplewithhighbloodpressureneedt
    omakehealthylifestylechanges.Theseincludelosingweight,exercisin
    gmore,eatinghealthierfood,avoidingalcoholandsalt,quittingsmokin
    gandavoidingstress.Thenewreadingof130over80nowmeansthatnea
    rlyhalf(46percent)oftheadultpopulationoftheUSAhashighbloodpres
    sure.Thisrosefrom32percentusingtheoldnumbers.

    Free writing

    Write about blood pressure for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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    Academic writing

    Schools should teach children about the dangers of high blood pressure. Discuss.

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    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 this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

    3. BLOOD PRESSURE: Make a poster about blood pressure. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

    4. HEALTH COSTS: Write a magazine article about people having to pay higher healthcare costs if they do not life a lifestyle to reduce high blood pressure. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.

    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 high blood pressure. Ask him/her three questions about it. Give him/her three of your ideas on how to reduce high blood pressure. 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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