The Reading / Listening - Skinny Genes - Level 5

Researchers from Cambridge University say people's genes help them to stay slim. They discovered that thin people had DNA that helped them stay slim. Their DNA contained fewer things linked to being overweight. A professor of metabolism and medicine, Sadaf Farooqi, said: "We've found that there are genes associated with thinness. Genes play at least 40 per cent of a role in people's weight. It's much more than people realize." This might help explain why some people are naturally skinny while others have problems with keeping their weight down.

The study is in the journal PLOS Genetics. The researchers wanted to find out why so many people struggle with their weight. An incredible 94.5 per cent of adults on the South Pacific island of Nauru are overweight. Professor Farooqi said she wanted to help people who are struggling. She said: "It's easy to rush to judgment and criticize people for their weight, but the science shows that things are far more complex." She added: "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 4 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. Their DNA contained
  3. A professor of metabolism
  4. there are genes associated
  5. It's much more than
  6. This might help explain
  7. some people are naturally
  8. have problems with keeping
  1. why
  2. and medicine
  3. their weight down
  4. fewer things
  5. skinny
  6. with thinness
  7. people realize
  8. to stay slim

Paragraph 2

  1. The study is in the
  2. The researchers wanted to
  3. so many people struggle
  4. help people who
  5. criticize people for
  6. science shows that things are
  7. they have a lower burden
  8. increase a person's chances
  1. with their weight
  2. far more complex
  3. of being overweight
  4. their weight
  5. of genes
  6. journal PLOS Genetics
  7. are struggling
  8. find out why

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Researchers from Cambridge University (1) ___________________ help them to stay slim. They discovered (2) ___________________ had DNA that helped them stay slim. Their DNA contained fewer things linked to being overweight. A professor of (3) ___________________, Sadaf Farooqi, said: "We've found that there are (4) ___________________ thinness. Genes play at least 40 per cent of a role (5) ___________________. It's much more than people realize." This might help explain why some people are naturally skinny while others have problems with keeping (6) ___________________.

The study is (7) ___________________ PLOS Genetics. The researchers wanted to find out why so many people (8) ___________________ weight. An incredible 94.5 per cent of adults on the South Pacific island of Nauru are overweight. Professor Farooqi said she wanted to help people (9) ___________________. She said: "It's easy to rush to judgment and criticize people for their weight, but (10) ___________________ that things are far more complex." She added: "Healthy, thin people (11) ___________________ because they have a lower burden of genes that increase a person's (12) ___________________ overweight."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ResearchersfromCambridgeUniversitysaypeople'sgeneshelpthemt
ostayslim.TheydiscoveredthatthinpeoplehadDNAthathelpedthemst
ayslim.TheirDNAcontainedfewerthingslinkedtobeingoverweight.Ap
rofessorofmetabolismandmedicine,SadafFarooqi,said:"We'vefound
thattherearegenesassociatedwiththinness.Genesplayatleast40perc
entofaroleinpeople'sweight.It'smuchmorethanpeoplerealize."This
mighthelpexplainwhysomepeoplearenaturallyskinnywhileothersha
veproblemswithkeepingtheirweightdown.ThestudyisinthejournalPL
OSGenetics.Theresearcherswantedtofindoutwhysomanypeoplestru
gglewiththeirweight.Anincredible94.5percentofadultsontheSouthP
acificislandofNauruareoverweight.ProfessorFarooqisaidshewantedt
ohelppeoplewhoarestruggling.Shesaid:"It'seasytorushtojudgment
andcriticizepeoplefortheirweight,butthescienceshowsthatthingsare
farmorecomplex."Sheadded:"Healthy,thinpeoplearegenerallythinb
ecausetheyhavealowerburdenofgenesthatincreaseaperson'schance
sofbeingoverweight."

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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