The Reading / Listening - Positive Thinking - Level 0

Researchers say positive thinkers live longer than negative thinkers. The researchers looked at data on 70,000 nurses. They found that more people who thought positively lived to be 85. People who thought negatively were 11-15 per cent less likely to be 85. Researchers say positive thinkers manage stress better.

Researchers looked at people's diets, exercise, how much they smoked and drank, and levels of optimism. A professor said more positive thinking may help people to live longer. Her advice for pessimists was to, "imagine a future in which everything has turned out well". She said it was healthier to look on the bright side of life.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Positive Thinking - Level 1,  Positive Thinking - Level 2   or  Positive Thinking - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/health-49447685
  • https://news.sky.com/story/looking-on-the-bright-side-helps-you-live-longer-study-finds-11795107
  • https://www.livescience.com/optimism-tied-to-longevity.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. positive thinkers
  2. negative
  3. The researchers looked
  4. people who thought
  5. lived to
  6. 11-15 per cent
  7. likely
  8. manage stress
  1. better
  2. at data
  3. less
  4. be 85
  5. thinkers
  6. to be 85
  7. positively
  8. live longer

Paragraph 2

  1. Researchers looked at
  2. how much they
  3. more positive
  4. help people
  5. Her advice
  6. everything has turned
  7. She said it was
  8. the bright side
  1. out well
  2. to live longer
  3. of life
  4. people's diets
  5. healthier
  6. smoked and drank
  7. for pessimists
  8. thinking

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Researchers say positive thinkers (1) ___________________ negative thinkers. The researchers (2) ___________________ on 70,000 nurses. They (3) ___________________ people who thought positively (4) ___________________ 85. People who thought negatively were 11-15 per cent (5) ___________________ be 85. Researchers say positive thinkers (6) __________________.

Researchers looked at people's (7) ___________________ much they smoked and drank, (8) ___________________ optimism. A professor (9) ___________________ thinking may help people to live longer. (10) ___________________ pessimists was to, "imagine a future in which everything (11) ___________________ well". She said it was healthier to look on (12) ___________________ of life.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Researcherssaypositivethinkerslivelongerthannegativethinkers.Th
eresearcherslookedatdataon70,000nurses.Theyfoundthatmorepeo
plewhothoughtpositivelylivedtobe85.Peoplewhothoughtnegatively
were11-15percentlesslikelytobe85.Researcherssaypositivethinke
rsmanagestressbetter.Researcherslookedatpeople'sdiets,exercise,
howmuchtheysmokedanddrank,andlevelsofoptimism.Aprofessorsa
idmorepositivethinkingmayhelppeopletolivelonger.Heradviceforpes
simistswasto,"imagineafutureinwhicheverythinghasturnedoutwell"
.Shesaiditwashealthiertolookonthebrightsideoflife.

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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