The Reading / Listening - Veganism - Level 4

Belgian doctors said giving children a vegan diet is "unethical" and criminal. Vegans do not eat animal products, including eggs and dairy. Belgium's medical association said veganism was "unsuitable for unborn children, children, teenagers, and pregnant...women". It said vegan parenting does not help "a person in danger". This is a criminal offence with a possible two-year prison sentence. It said children needed protein from meat.

An animal rights group called the ruling "ignorant codswallop". It said: "A meat- and dairy-based diet is what strikes people down in adulthood, as it can lead to hardened arteries that cause stroke...and heart attacks." A spokeswoman said: "A well-planned vegan diet is perfect for babies and children." Her children "thrived" on a vegan diet. She added: "It's the parents' responsibility to ensure their child is getting all the necessary nutrients."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Veganism - Level 5 or  Veganism - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.plantbasednews.org/post/parents-raising-children-vegan-prosecuted
  • https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/lifestyle/2019/05/belgium-will-no-longer-tolerate-parents-who-force-their-kids-to-be-vegan.html
  • https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/05/16/parents-raise-children-vegans-should-prosecuted-say-belgian/


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. giving children a vegan
  2. Vegans do not eat animal
  3. including eggs
  4. unsuitable for unborn
  5. vegan
  6. This is a criminal
  7. a possible two-year
  8. It said children needed protein
  1. offence
  2. children
  3. prison sentence
  4. diet
  5. from meat
  6. and dairy
  7. parenting
  8. products

Paragraph 2

  1. An animal rights
  2. called the ruling ignorant
  3. A meat- and dairy-
  4. hardened arteries that cause
  5. A well-planned vegan diet is
  6. Her children "thrived"
  7. It's the parents'
  8. getting all the necessary
  1. stroke
  2. responsibility
  3. perfect for babies
  4. nutrients
  5. group
  6. based diet
  7. codswallop
  8. on a vegan diet

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Belgian doctors said giving children a vegan (1) ___________________ and criminal. Vegans do not (2) ___________________, including eggs and dairy. Belgium's (3) ___________________ veganism was "unsuitable for unborn children, children, (4) ___________________...women". It said vegan parenting does not help "a (5) ___________________". This is a criminal offence with a possible two-year prison sentence. It said children needed (6) ___________________.

An animal rights group (7) ___________________ "ignorant codswallop". It said: "A meat- and dairy-based diet (8) ___________________ people down in adulthood, as it can lead to hardened (9) ___________________ stroke...and heart attacks." A spokeswoman said: "A well-planned vegan (10) ___________________ for babies and children." Her children "thrived" on a vegan diet. She added: "(11) ___________________ responsibility to ensure their child is getting all (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Belgiandoctorssaidgivingchildrenavegandietis"unethical"andcrimin
al.Vegansdonoteatanimalproducts,includingeggsanddairy.Belgium'
smedicalassociationsaidveganismwas"unsuitableforunbornchildren
,children,teenagers,andpregnant...women".Itsaidveganparentingd
oesnothelp"apersonindanger".Thisisacriminaloffencewithapossiblet
wo-yearprisonsentence.Itsaidchildrenneededproteinfrommeat.Ana
nimalrightsgroupcalledtheruling"ignorantcodswallop".Itsaid:"Ame
at-anddairy-baseddietiswhatstrikespeopledowninadulthood,asitc
anleadtohardenedarteriesthatcausestroke...andheartattacks."Aspo
keswomansaid:"Awell-plannedvegandietisperfectforbabiesandchil
dren."Herchildren"thrived"onavegandiet.Sheadded:"It'stheparents
'responsibilitytoensuretheirchildisgettingallthenecessarynutrients."

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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