The Reading / Listening - Skinny Genes - Level 4

Researchers say people's genes help them to stay slim. Thin people have DNA that help them stay slim and stops them putting on weight. A professor of metabolism and medicine said: "Genes play at least 40 per cent of a role in people's weight. It's much more than people realize." This might explain why some people are naturally skinny, while others have problems with keeping their weight down.

The researchers wanted to find out why so many people struggle with their weight. On the island of Nauru, 94.5 per cent of adults are overweight. The professor wanted to help people who are struggling. She said: "It's easy to rush to judgment and criticize people for their weight....Healthy, thin people are generally thin because they have a lower burden of genes that increase a person's chances of being overweight."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Skinny Genes - Level 5 or  Skinny Genes - Level 6

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/25/health/thinness-and-obesity-due-to-genes-study-intl/index.html
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/health-46976031
  • https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-01-slim-people-genetic-advantage-weight.html


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's genes help them
  2. stops them putting
  3. A professor of metabolism
  4. Genes play at
  5. It's much more than
  6. some people are naturally
  7. others have
  8. keeping their weight
  1. and medicine
  2. skinny
  3. down
  4. to stay slim
  5. problems
  6. on weight
  7. people realize
  8. least 40% of a role

Paragraph 2

  1. The researchers wanted to find
  2. so many people struggle
  3. help people who
  4. It's easy to rush
  5. criticize people
  6. they have a lower burden
  7. increase a person's
  8. being
  1. chances
  2. out why
  3. of genes
  4. are struggling
  5. overweight
  6. with their weight
  7. for their weight
  8. to judgment

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Researchers say people's (1) ___________________ to stay slim. Thin people have DNA that help them stay (2) ___________________ them putting on weight. A professor (3) ___________________ medicine said: "Genes play at least 40 per cent of (4) ___________________ people's weight. It's much more than people realize." This (5) ___________________ some people are naturally skinny, while others have problems (6) ___________________ weight down.

The researchers wanted to find out why so (7) ___________________ with their weight. On the island of Nauru, 94.5 per cent of (8) ___________________. The professor wanted to help people who are struggling. She said: "It's (9) ___________________ to judgment and criticize people (10) ___________________....Healthy, thin people are generally thin because they have (11) ___________________ of genes that increase a person's (12) ___________________ overweight."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Researcherssaypeople'sgeneshelpthemtostayslim.Thinpeoplehave
DNAthathelpthemstayslimandstopsthemputtingonweight.Aprofess
orofmetabolismandmedicinesaid:"Genesplayatleast40percentofaro
leinpeople'sweight.It'smuchmorethanpeoplerealize."Thismightexpl
ainwhysomepeoplearenaturallyskinny,whileothershaveproblemswi
thkeepingtheirweightdown.Theresearcherswantedtofindoutwhyso
manypeoplestrugglewiththeirweight.OntheislandofNauru,94.5perc
entofadultsareoverweight.Theprofessorwantedtohelppeoplewhoar
estruggling.Shesaid:"It'seasytorushtojudgmentandcriticizepeoplef
ortheirweight....Healthy,thinpeoplearegenerallythinbecausetheyha
vealowerburdenofgenesthatincreaseaperson'schancesofbeingover
weight."

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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