The Reading / Listening - Losing Weight - Level 2

The prime minister of Tonga has asked other leaders to join the fight against obesity by taking part in a year-long weight-loss challenge. Akilisi Pohiva told a newspaper that he will set the challenge at the Pacific Island Forum in the tiny nation of Nauru in September. He said: "We should all get together for a weight-loss competition for an entire year, so when we meet the following year, we will weigh in again and see who has lost the most." He added: "We have been [talking about] the same issue, over the years but it doesn't seem to work."

Mr Pohiva also spoke about Tonga's life expectancy going down because of obesity. He said: "It is now down to 68 years old. from] 71. It has reduced [a lot]." He hopes his challenge will encourage Pacific islanders to lose weight. He believes they will look after their weight better if they see their leaders doing the same. The Pacific Island Forum said Pacific island nations were losing their fight against child obesity. The World Health Organization said 20 per cent of children between the ages of five and 19 were obese in 10 Pacific island countries.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Losing Weight - Level 0 Losing Weight - Level 1   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. join the fight
  2. a year-long weight-
  3. for an entire
  4. when we meet the
  5. see who
  6. talking about
  7. over the
  8. it doesn't seem
  1. following year
  2. years
  3. against obesity
  4. to work
  5. year
  6. has lost the most
  7. loss challenge
  8. the same issue

Paragraph 2

  1. life
  2. going down because
  3. It is now down
  4. encourage Pacific islanders
  5. look after their weight
  6. if they see their leaders
  7. losing their fight against
  8. between the ages
  1. child obesity
  2. to lose weight
  3. expectancy
  4. better
  5. doing the same
  6. of obesity
  7. of five and 19
  8. to 68 years

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The prime minister of Tonga (1) ___________________ leaders to join the fight against obesity (2) ___________________ in a year-long weight-loss challenge. Akilisi Pohiva told a newspaper that he will (3) ___________________ at the Pacific Island Forum in the tiny nation of Nauru in September. He said: "We should all get together for a weight-loss competition for (4) ___________________, so when we meet the following year, we will (5) ___________________ and see who has lost the most." He added: "We have been [talking about] (6) ___________________, over the years but it doesn't seem to work."

Mr Pohiva also spoke about Tonga's (7) ___________________ down because of obesity. He said: "It is now down to 68 years old from 71. (8) ___________________ [a lot]." He hopes his challenge will encourage Pacific islanders (9) ___________________. He believes they will look after their weight better if they see their leaders (10) ___________________. The Pacific Island Forum said Pacific island nations were losing (11) ___________________ child obesity. The World Health Organization said 20 per cent of children between the ages of five and 19 (12) ___________________ 10 Pacific island countries.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheprimeministerofTongahasaskedotherleaderstojointhefightagain
stobesitybytakingpartinayear-longweight-losschallenge.Akilisi
PohivatoldanewspaperthathewillsetthechallengeatthePacificIsland
ForuminthetinynationofNauruinSeptember.Hesaid:"Weshouldallge
ttogetherforaweight-losscompetitionforanentireyear,sowhenweme
etthefollowingyear,wewillweighinagainandseewhohaslostthemost."
Headded:"Wehavebeen[talkingabout]thesameissue,overtheyearsb
utitdoesn'tseemtowork."MrPohivaalsospokeaboutTonga'slifeexpect
ancygoingdownbecauseofobesity.Hesaid:"Itisnowdownto68yearsol
dfrom71.Ithasreduced[alot]."Hehopeshischallengewillencourage
Pacificislanderstoloseweight.Hebelievestheywilllookaftertheirweigh
tbetteriftheyseetheirleadersdoingthesame.ThePacificIslandForums
aidPacificislandnationswerelosingtheirfightagainstchildobesity.The
WorldHealthOrganizationsaid20percentofchildrenbetweentheageso
ffiveand19wereobesein10Pacificislandcountries.

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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