The Reading / Listening - Stress Baking - Level 1

The U.S. election was stressful. A research company said the election was a cause of stress in 49 per cent of people. Only COVID-19 caused more stress. The company said 55 per cent of adults thought November the 3rd was the most stressful day of the year. They couldn't imagine being more stressed and wanted 2020 to be over. A self-care app said: "It's not just the election anxiety - this year has been a marathon of stress. These are not normal times."

Months of non-stop news made people stressed. They baked to feel better. More cakes and bread went into ovens before the election. Stress baking is now a top self-care activity. Around 27 per cent of people baked to relieve stress. However, 41 per cent gained weight. One woman said baking reduced her election stress. She said: "I'm prepared and have a post-election plan. In reality, we probably won't have a clear winner for weeks after election day."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Stress Baking - Level 0,  Stress Baking - Level 2   or  Stress Baking - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.cnet.com/news/the-psychology-of-stress-baking-why-everyone-is-making-bread-in-2020/
  • https://www.delish.com/food/a31669795/stress-baking/
  • https://www.swnsdigital.com/2020/10/more-than-half-of-americans-expect-election-day-to-be-the-most-stressful-day-of-their-lives-thus-far/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The U.S. election was
  2. the election was a
  3. Only COVID-19 caused
  4. November the 3rd was the
  5. They couldn't imagine being
  6. It's not just the election
  7. this year has been a marathon
  8. These are not normal
  1. times
  2. most stressful day
  3. stressful
  4. more stressed
  5. of stress
  6. cause of stress
  7. anxiety
  8. more stress

Paragraph 2

  1. Months of non-
  2. More cakes and bread
  3. people baked
  4. However, 41 per cent gained
  5. baking reduced her election
  6. I'm prepared and have
  7. we probably won't have a
  8. for weeks after
  1. a post-election plan
  2. weight
  3. election day
  4. stop news
  5. clear winner
  6. went into ovens
  7. stress
  8. to relieve stress

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The U.S. (1) ___________________. A research company said the election was a (2) ___________________ in 49 per cent of people. Only COVID-19 caused more stress. The company said 55 per cent (3) ___________________ November the 3rd was the most stressful day of the year. They couldn't (4) ___________________ stressed and wanted 2020 to be over. A self-care app said: "It's not just the election anxiety - this year has been (5) ___________________ stress. These are (6) ___________________."

Months (7) ___________________ made people stressed. They baked to feel better. More cakes (8) ___________________ into ovens before the election. Stress baking is (9) ___________________ self-care activity. Around 27 per cent of people baked (10) ___________________. However, 41 per cent gained weight. One woman said baking reduced her election stress. She said: "I'm (11) ___________________ a post-election plan. In reality, we probably won't have (12) ___________________ for weeks after election day."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheU.S.electionwasstressful.Aresearchcompanysaidtheelectionwa
sacauseofstressin49percentofpeople.OnlyCOVID-19causedmorestr
ess.Thecompanysaid55percentofadultsthoughtNovemberthe3rdwa
sthemoststressfuldayoftheyear.Theycouldn'timaginebeingmorestr
essedandwanted2020tobeover.Aself-careappsaid:"It'snotjustthee
lectionanxiety-thisyearhasbeenamarathonofstress.Thesearenotn
ormaltimes."Monthsofnon-stopnewsmadepeoplestressed.Theyba
kedtofeelbetter.Morecakesandbreadwentintoovensbeforetheelecti
on.Stressbakingisnowatopself-careactivity.Around27percentofp
eoplebakedtorelievestress.However,41percentgainedweight.Onew
omansaidbakingreducedherelectionstress.Shesaid:"I'mpreparedan
dhaveapost-electionplan.Inreality,weprobablywon'thaveaclearwi
nnerforweeksafterelectionday."

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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