The Reading / Listening - Age Differences - Level 5

People in the UK are angry at a TV channel. Viewers accused the Channel 5 series Age Gap Love of "normalising grooming". The show followed the lives of couples with a big age difference. One show followed the relationship of a couple who dated when the man was 44 and his partner was 16. The man was a friend of the 16-year-old's mother. He became friendly with the daughter when she was a child. After this episode was aired, the channel received a flood of complaints from viewers. They slammed the show for "making this concept seem normal".

The couple in the show are married with two children. The man, 47, said he was worried about what people would think of the big gap. His wife, now 19, also spoke about their relationship. She said: "The age doesn't really bother me. It never has done. I don't see him as an old man...or anything like that. He's just sensitive - like a big teddy bear." She added: "I've always wanted to have a family, so I just thought he would be the perfect man." Life has not been easy for the couple. When they first started dating, they got a lot of abuse from neighbours and had to move to another city.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Age Differences - Level 4 or  Age Differences - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/age-gap-love-accused-normalising-16213965
  • https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/9166705/viewers-blast-channel-5-normalising-grooming-age-gap-love/
  • https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/tv/viewers-criticise-channel-5s-age-16341922


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 in the UK are angry
  2. couples with a big
  3. a couple who dated when
  4. a friend of the 16-year-
  5. He became friendly
  6. After this episode
  7. the channel received a flood
  8. making this concept
  1. of complaints
  2. old's mother
  3. seem normal
  4. was aired
  5. at a TV channel
  6. the man was 44
  7. with the daughter
  8. age difference

Paragraph 2

  1. married with
  2. The age doesn't really
  3. I don't see him
  4. like a big
  5. Life has not been easy
  6. When they first started
  7. they got a lot of abuse
  8. had to move to
  1. dating
  2. teddy bear
  3. another city
  4. as an old man
  5. from neighbours
  6. two children
  7. for the couple
  8. bother me

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

People in the UK (1) ___________________ a TV channel. Viewers accused the Channel 5 series Age Gap Love of "normalising grooming". The show (2) ___________________ of couples with a big age difference. One show followed the relationship of a (3) ___________________ when the man was 44 and his partner was 16. The man was a friend of the 16-year-old's mother. He (4) ___________________ the daughter when she was a child. After this (5) ___________________, the channel received a flood of complaints from viewers. They slammed the show for "(6) ___________________ seem normal".

The couple in the show are married with two children. The man, 47, said he was worried about what people would think of (7) ___________________. His wife, now 19, also (8) ___________________ relationship. She said: "The age doesn't (9) ___________________. It never has done. I don't see him as an old man...or anything like that. (10) ___________________ - like a big teddy bear." She added: "I've always wanted to have a family, so I just thought he would be (11) ___________________." Life has not been easy for the couple. When they first started dating, they got a (12) ___________________ from neighbours and had to move to another city.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

PeopleintheUKareangryataTVchannel.ViewersaccusedtheChannel5
seriesAgeGapLoveof"normalisinggrooming".Theshowfollowedtheliv
esofcoupleswithabigagedifference.Oneshowfollowedtherelationshi
pofacouplewhodatedwhenthemanwas44andhispartnerwas16.Them
anwasafriendofthe16-year-old'smother.Hebecamefriendlywiththed
aughterwhenshewasachild.Afterthisepisodewasaired,thechannelre
ceivedafloodofcomplaintsfromviewers.Theyslammedtheshowfor"m
akingthisconceptseemnormal".Thecoupleintheshowaremarriedwith
twochildren.Theman,47,saidhewasworriedaboutwhatpeoplewouldt
hinkofthebiggap.Hiswife,now19,alsospokeabouttheirrelationship.S
hesaid:"Theagedoesn'treallybotherme.Itneverhasdone.Idon'tseehi
masanoldman...oranythinglikethat.He'sjustsensitive-likeabigte
ddybear."Sheadded:"I'vealwayswantedtohaveafamily,soIjustthou
ghthewouldbetheperfectman."Lifehasnotbeeneasyforthecouple.Wh
entheyfirststarteddating,theygotalotofabusefromneighboursandha
dtomovetoanothercity.

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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