The Reading / Listening - Losing Weight - Level 1

The prime minister of Tonga asked other leaders to fight obesity by taking part in a year-long weight-loss challenge. Akilisi Pohiva will set the challenge when the Pacific Island Forum tales place in the nation of Nauru in September. He said: "We should all get together for a weight-loss competition...so when we meet the following year, we will weigh in again and see who has lost the most." He added leaders had talked about this issue for years, but nothing changed.

Tonga's life expectancy has gone down because of obesity. It has reduced from 71 to 68. He hopes his challenge will get Pacific islanders to lose weight and that they will look after their weight if they see their leaders doing the same. The Pacific Island Forum said Pacific island nations were losing the fight against child obesity. The World Health Organization said 20 per cent of children were obese in 10 Pacific island countries.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Losing Weight - Level 0 Losing Weight - Level 2   or  Losing Weight - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/14/tonga-pm-obesity-challenges-pacific-leaders-weight-loss-battle
  • https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/08/14/tonga-pm-challenges-pacific-states-weight-loss-contest-tackle/
  • http://www.sobserver.ws/en/14_08_2018/local/35879/Pohiva-urges-Pacific-leaders-to-set-example.htm


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. fight
  2. set the
  3. We should all get
  4. a weight-
  5. when we meet the
  6. see who has lost
  7. talked about this
  8. nothing
  1. issue for years
  2. loss competition
  3. challenge
  4. changed
  5. together
  6. following year
  7. obesity
  8. the most

Paragraph 2

  1. life
  2. It has reduced
  3. lose
  4. they will look
  5. they see their leaders
  6. losing the fight
  7. 20 per cent of children
  8. 10 Pacific
  1. were obese
  2. weight
  3. island countries
  4. from 71 to 68
  5. expectancy
  6. doing the same
  7. after their weight
  8. against child obesity

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The prime minister of Tonga (1) ___________________ to fight obesity (2) ___________________ in a year-long weight-loss challenge. Akilisi Pohiva will (3) ___________________ when the Pacific Island Forum tales place in the nation of Nauru in September. He said: "We should all (4) ___________________ a weight-loss competition...so when we meet the following year, we will (5) ___________________ and see who has lost the most." He added leaders had talked about this (6) ___________________, but nothing changed.

Tonga's life expectancy has gone (7) ___________________ obesity. It has reduced from 71 to 68. (8) ___________________ challenge will get Pacific islanders (9) ___________________ and that they will look after their weight if they see (10) ___________________ the same. The Pacific Island Forum said Pacific island nations were (11) ___________________ against child obesity. The World Health Organization said 20 per cent of children were obese in 10 (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheprimeministerofTongaaskedotherleaderstofightobesitybytaking
partinayear-longweight-losschallenge.AkilisiPohivawillsetthechalle
ngewhenthePacificIslandForumtalesplaceinthenationofNauruinSep
tember.Hesaid:"Weshouldallgettogetherforaweight-losscompeti
tion...sowhenwemeetthefollowingyear,wewillweighinagainandsee
whohaslostthemost."Headdedleadershadtalkedaboutthisissueforye
ars,butnothingchanged.Tonga'slifeexpectancyhasgonedownbecaus
eofobesity.Ithasreducedfrom71to68.HehopeshischallengewillgetPa
cificislanderstoloseweightandthattheywilllookaftertheirweightifthe
yseetheirleadersdoingthesame.ThePacificIslandForumsaidPacificisl
andnationswerelosingthefightagainstchildobesity.TheWorldHealth
Organizationsaid20percentofchildrenwereobesein10Pacificislandco
untries.

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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