The Reading / Listening - Night Owls - Level 1

People say the early bird catches the worm. This means people who wake up early do many things. They also say: "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." This may be true. Scientists found that people who go to bed early do better in tests. People who sleep and wake up early (early birds) have an advantage over people who sleep and wake up late (night owls). They found differences in the brains of early birds and night owls.

The scientists tested 38 people. They answered questionnaires about sleep and tiredness. All of the people had MRI brain scans and did tests during the day. The early birds said they felt less sleepy. They did the tests quicker than the night owls. There were big differences between the groups. The researchers said night owls have to get up early for school and work. They always want to sleep late, so they have to fight their natural rhythm.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Night Owls - Level 0 Night Owls - Level 2   or  Night Owls - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.medicaldaily.com/brain-functions-differently-if-you-are-night-person-429837
  • https://www.livescience.com/64779-night-owls-brain-connectivity.html
  • https://www.newsweek.com/night-owls-work-mornings-brains-wired-differently-science-1332931


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 say the early bird
  2. people who wake up early
  3. Early to bed, early
  4. healthy, wealthy,
  5. This may
  6. people who go to bed early do
  7. an advantage over
  8. night
  1. better in tests
  2. to rise
  3. be true
  4. owls
  5. people who sleep
  6. catches the worm
  7. do many things
  8. and wise

Paragraph 2

  1. The scientists tested
  2. They answered
  3. the people had MRI
  4. did tests
  5. early
  6. they felt
  7. get up early
  8. their natural
  1. rhythm
  2. during the day
  3. less sleepy
  4. questionnaires
  5. for school
  6. brain scans
  7. birds
  8. 38 people

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

People say the (1) ___________________ the worm. This means people who wake up (2) ___________________ things. They also say: "Early to bed, early to (3) ___________________ man healthy, wealthy, and wise." This may be true. Scientists found that people who go to bed early do (4) ___________________. People who sleep and wake up early (early birds) have (5) ___________________ people who sleep and wake up late (night owls). They found differences in (6) ___________________ early birds and night owls.

The scientists (7) ___________________. They answered questionnaires (8) ___________________ tiredness. All of the people had MRI brain scans and did tests during the day. The early birds said (9) ___________________ sleepy. They did the tests quicker than the night owls. There were big differences (10) ___________________. The researchers said night owls have to get up early for (11) ___________________. They always want to sleep late, so they have (12) ___________________ natural rhythm.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Peoplesaytheearlybirdcatchestheworm.Thismeanspeoplewhowake
upearlydomanythings.Theyalsosay:"Earlytobed,earlytorisemakesa
manhealthy,wealthy,andwise."Thismaybetrue.Scientistsfoundthat
peoplewhogotobedearlydobetterintests.Peoplewhosleepandwakeu
pearly(earlybirds)haveanadvantageoverpeoplewhosleepandwakeu
plate(nightowls).Theyfounddifferencesinthebrainsofearlybirdsandn
ightowls.Thescientiststested38people.Theyansweredquestionnaire
saboutsleepandtiredness.AllofthepeoplehadMRIbrainscansanddidt
estsduringtheday.Theearlybirdssaidtheyfeltlesssleepy.Theydidthet
estsquickerthanthenightowls.Therewerebigdifferencesbetweenthe
groups.Theresearcherssaidnightowlshavetogetupearlyforschoolan
dwork.Theyalwayswanttosleeplate,sotheyhavetofighttheirnaturalr
hythm.

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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